The Devil's Cry
by Beowulf-BX
Summary: What happens when Xander dresses up as the baddest Demon Hunter ever? Let's Rock Baby! Much love to my beta reader dmweasley
1. Well This Is New

Title: The Devil's Cry

Author: Beowulf-BX

Genre: Action, Comedy, Video game x-over

Rating: R

Pairings: X/F (later on)

Summery: What if Xander dressed up like the biggest BAD ASS demon hunter of all time?

Time Frame: Halloween Episode and 'The Zeppo.'

Disclaimer: This work is pure fiction. Any relation to anyone you know means you're one weird person. Also, no demons were harmed in the making of this fic.

xxxxxx

To say that Xander Harris was bored would have been an understatement. To say that he was out of his mind bored would have been better.

Whatever made him think that it would be ok for him to come along with Buffy and Willow costume shopping? It was obviously part of a much larger plan of the Hellmouth to drive him slowly out of what little mind he had left. That had to be it. Why else would he be punished like this?

With a reluctant sigh, Xander wandered aimlessly through the newest shop in town. Besides the fact the store was brand new, it was wall to wall packed. People were running around scrambling to get last minute outfits for whatever party they were going to. Unlike Xander, who was stuck with some kids, all thanks to Snyder. He toyed briefly with the idea to go as a soldier or something along those lines. The only draw back to that little plan was that the things he needed to make those ideas work were already taken.

"Why me?" Xander asked himself for the hundredth time. He looked around a little and caught sight of Willow and Buffy. Both girls were in awe of a Victorian era styled dress. No doubt something Buffy thought Dead Boy would like. Rolling his eyes, he spotted something at the far corner of the store in a glass case. As he got closer, his suspicions were confirmed.

Standing there, on a dummy, was the VERY same outfit worn by the main character from 'Devil May Cry', Dante Sparda. The outfit was an exact match. It consisted of deep red pants with black boots over them that came right up to mannequin's calf. Around the right leg were two black belt straps. There was also a red vest over a black long sleeved shirt and a pair of black gloves. On the dummy's head, to finish off the costume, was a white wig. At its hips were Dante's famous guns, Ebony and Ivory. The only thing that was missing was the large sword the character owned, Force Edge. Other then that, the outfit was an exact copy.

"May I help you son?" a voice asked from behind him.

Xander considered himself manly though the girlish shrike he admitted was FAR from it. After a brief flailing of his arms, Xander turned around with his eyes wide. Behind him stood a man about Giles' age, give or take a year. He had a look about him that made the hair on the back of Xander's neck stand on end.

"Yeah," Xander replied slowly, "though I doubt I can afford this, Mr. . ."

Smiling, the man chuckled and replied, "Rayne. Ethan Rayne. And as for the costume, you are in luck. We're having a sale today."

Looking behind him, Xander glanced over the outfit then back at the older man.

"Alright, I'll bite. How much?"

"How much do you have?"

Things were getting weirder and weirder. Then again, it was Sunnydale. Reaching into his pocket, Xander brought out what little money he had. Much to his own surprise, Ethan took the money and even tossed in a wooden Japanese bokken sword to replace the missing sword that was supposed to come with the costume. With it wrapped up, he handed it back to Xander with that smile of his.

Things were getting MUCH weirder.

xxxxxx  
Time: A few hours later  
Place: Xander's room  
xxxxxx

Xander had everything set out and ready for the night. Everything, save for one important thing. The costume was still missing a sword, and the bokken had yet to be made into a Dante worthy sword.

What most people didn't know about him was that Xander loved working with his hands. He often made the stakes that the Scoobies used against vampires. Tonight it was time for him to make something for fun. With a deep breath, Xander looked over the wooden sword. It was three times the size of a normal katana bokken, making it, if he remembered correctly, an O No Dachi. The blade was long and with a deep curve, roughly about thirty-nine inches long.

With some black quick drying paint, he made the blade of the wooden sword seem a little more demonic. Next came the plastic guard and the part just above the sword, the habiki. Xander filled in the sides of the guard and glued two prongs to the front and back of it. He looked it over and smiled. The guard now had a Euro-Japanese look to it. He set it aside and taking some clay and a little tin foil, started to shape an open-mouthed demon head that he put were the pommel would be.

Now it was finished. A sword Dante might use if he ever had the chance. A few seconds later he took the sheath of the bokken, which he made in only a few moments, and slid the wooden blade into it.

"...And I shall call thee...Dhylec, The Soul Taker." Xander chuckled to himself. He looked over at the clock and realized he was going to be late. In a flash, he got dressed and ran out the door as quickly as his legs would carry him to the Summers homestead.

If there was one thing he had learned, it was that being late to the Summers' was NOT a good thing.

xxxxxx

Joyce was truly wondering if the bleach her daughter used on her hair was starting to soak into her brain. The costume Buffy had chosen was nice enough, but for some weird reason she was wearing it for that young man, Angel, a man much older then the seventeen year old. To be honest, Joyce was hoping that some day Buffy would see her friend Xander in a different light. Then again, that was as likely as Buffy admitting her real hair color.

Laughing Joyce went to answer the knock at the door. Much to her own surprise, the object of her thoughts was right there in front of her. 'If only I was a few years younger,' she thought to herself as she looked Xander over.

"My Lady Summers, Dante Sparda at your service," Xander said as he winked at her, bringing a girlish blush to Joyce's cheeks. He had to admit there something about this costume made him feel more confident.

Regaining some of her self-control, she smiled back at him. "Xander, please come in. Buffy and Willow are almost ready."

"Actually, Mom I'm am ready."

They both looked up to see Buffy dressed in the same Victorian styled dress that she'd been looking at in Mr. Rayne's costume shop. Xander had to admit it did look very attractive on her. Almost as if it was made for her.

"Wow, Buff...looking VERY nice," he said in his usual friendly way, "but where's Willow?"

At first Buffy was a little surprised at how Xander looked. A small part of her mind was starting to wonder if she made the right choice in going with Angel. She quickly brushed the thought aside as she smiled at him.

"She should be down soon. You're going to love this," she said stepping aside. "I present Willow...the friendly ghost?"

The outfit Willow had on had been covered with a white sheet with 'boo' written on it. It wasn't exactly what they were expecting.

"Nice outfit Wills. Really."

Willow, oddly enough, blushed at the comment. Xander sounded like he really meant what he said. Then again, if he told her the world was flat Willow would believe it.

So, with a waving hand, Joyce saw off the three kids. She wasn't sure, but she knew that Buffy was hiding something from her. At the same time though, she had a feeling that good people, especially Xander, were helping her daughter. She only hopped that Buffy wouldn't do anything stupid to push him away.

xxxxxx

His head was killing him. As he slowly opened his eyes, the throbbing pain started to wear off slowly. To be honest he felt like it was a hang over. His demonic blood made it VERY hard for him to get them though it did happen every once and awhile (well, there was that time when he got so wasted he proposed to a mop). Today was one of those days for Dante Sparda.

"Note to self: next time stay in bed…oww."

Getting up, he looked around and corrected himself. It was night, and from the looks of things, mostly scared people running around with little things running after them, he was knee deep in it. Judging by the style of houses and neighborhood, he guessed that he was somewhere in the US, and in the suburbs of all places. Not exactly the kind of place he was known to hang out.

Then again, the little demons and things running around wasn't all the odd to him. The size of them was just a little odd. With a sigh, he looked himself over and found his weapons in place. As usual, his two gals, Ebony and Ivory, were with him. He quickly drew them and looked them over. Smiling and twirling them around, he put them away. He reached over his shoulder and grabbed the handle of his sword. Now things were starting to get weird . . . even for him.

The sword wasn't his. For one thing, it was in a sheath. He never kept Force Edge in one. Another thing was that it was in the shape of a large katana. Still that didn't mean he wouldn't take it. The katana-styled sword wasn't what he would normally use but it still looked wicked. The open-mouthed demon at the end of the handle made it look sick, not to mention the black blade. For some odd reason the name of the sword came to him.

"Dhylec, huh?" Dante asked himself. "Not bad, not bad at all."

He resheathed the sword and drew his guns. He smiled to himself as he turned and aimed the guns on a small group of little demons that were trying to jump him from behind.

"Now, now, boys. You should know better then to try to get the drop on ol' Dante like that," he said aiming the guns at them. "Lets rock, baby!"

"Xander, no, don't shoot them!"

He wasn't sure why but Dante took his eyes off the little demons and looked over his shoulder. Behind him was a cute red head dressed up in a hot little number, showing off her smooth long legs. She looked like the kind of girl he usually saved who wanted to "thank" him for it later on.

"And you would be?"

"Xander, stop playing around. It's me Willow," she almost yelled at him. Dante raised his eyebrow at her. Something about this girl was familiar. Something deep down wanted to protect her.

"Lady," he replied looking her over slowly, "I don't know who this 'Xander' is but for you, I'll be anyone you want."

The light blush on her cheeks was exactly what he was expecting. The scrunched up face a few seconds later just made her look cuter.

"If you gimme a sec while I take care of our friends, I'll be right with you," he said to her, smiling and pointing Ebony over his shoulder, ready to pull the trigger.

"No!" the girl screamed in a panic. "They're just kids. Don't hurt them!"

For the second time since they'd met, this girl Willow had made him, Dante Sparda, the greatest Devil Hunter that ever existed, stop. Sighing, he looked at the little demons who hesitated to attack him. He reached out with his senses and noticed something.

She was telling the truth.

"What the . . ." he let the statement trail off as he narrowed his eyes more. Dante could see the mystical energy coming off them. It was VERY weak but there was something else. There was some kind of spell surrounding these demons and everyone who were running around too.

"Aww man. And here," he whined, "I really wanted to shoot something." Sighing, he aimed Ebony just above the demons' heads and fired off a few shots. The loud noise scared most of them away. Dante turned back to the girl who was looking at him like he was the second coming and chuckled. Smiling, he moved over to the girl and was about to put his arm over her shoulder . . . and went right through it.

On instinct, he brought up both his guns at her, ready to fire. "Ok lady, what the FUCK is going on here and who the FUCK are you?"

As usual, Dante found himself in the middle of something VERY weird. The girl started to babble on with a speed that rivaled his Devil Triggered form. All he really understood was something about costumes, something called a Hellmouth, and someone called Buffy.

"Ok, ok, slow it down babe," Dante said as he put his guns away. The action had its desired effect, calming the red head down. For someone who was supposed to be a ghost, this Willow sure got nervous a lot.

"Ok, umm . . . Willow was it?" Receiving a nod, Dante kept talking. "Now from the top, tell me what the hell is going on here."

"Alright," she began, "we need to find Buffy first. She can help us out."

"Right, got ya. Now who's Buffy?"

She looked at him like he had grown another head. He was used to that look. "Xander, you can stop kidding now," she said nervously. "You know Buffy . . . our friend...the Slayer."

Dante raised his eyebrow and tried to recall any and all things that were even remotely close to what a 'Slayer' was. The only thing he could come up with was the metal rock band by the same name. "Umm...look, lady, like I said, I ain't this Xander. The name's Dante . . . Dante Sparda."

Willow's eyes got wider as she covered her mouth. Somehow, Xander was what he was dressed as. This would explain why everyone was running around acting so weird and why she was a ghost. "We need to find Buffy," she said nervously, "before anything else goes nuts."

And as if by magic, they both heard a VERY loud scream, a scream that hurt Dante's ears and made Willow's eyes widen with fear. "Come on," she screamed at him, "that was Buffy, she needs help!"

Before Dante could say anything, the girl took off like a bat out of hell. He looked up at the heavens for some answer or sign but none came. Sighing, he ran after her, wondering what was it about woman and him.

They soon reached a woman dressed up in some weird outfit that looked like it was out of one of the books in Dante's father kept in his library. If he remembered correctly, that style of dress was from the Victorian age. The girl was a little on the skinny side but still pretty.

"Let me guess," Dante said pointing to the girl, "Buffy right?"

Willow simply nodded, still looking a little shocked.

"AHHH, A DEMON," the girl yelled with her eyes wide in terror.

On pure instinct, the former Sunnydale teen turned Devil Hunter, spun around and drew his guns, ready to kill the demon. It was quite a sight, Dante's red coat flapping around like a cape.

Unfortunately, there was no demon to kill. In fact, there was nothing there, save for a car passing by.

"Buffy, that's a car," Willow said trying to calm down the distraught girl.

"Who are you people? Where am I? Where is my father?"

Laughing to himself, Dante found the girl's mouth was working just fine if her babbling was any indication. He put his guns away and picked up the girl, getting a better look at her. She was smaller then him by a few inches, give or take. The only thing this 'Buffy' had going for her was a set of pretty green eyes.

"Ok lady," he said turning to Willow, "is there a safe place around here?"

"Yeah, Buffy's house. This way."

She lead the way with the girl, Buffy, behind her and Dante bringing up the rear. Willow seemed to know what was going on in this town. Dante was willing to follow her for now, though he could feel something, a tickle on the back of his neck. These two girls seemed so familiar and there was the feeling of protectiveness towards them.

Who was he to deny his feelings?

They reached the house a few minutes later, after a few yells of 'demons' that is. Much to Dante's surprise the door was unlocked. He moved past the two girls and quickly went inside to scan the house. Everything looked normal. The house felt warm, cozy, and made him feel at peace, something, Dante didn't feel too often.

"Anyone here?" Dante asked Willow over his shoulder.

"No, I don't think so. I wish Giles was here though."

Dante was about to ask something but heard another terrified scream. As usual, he reacted faster then light. He threw the door open and jumped out, his demonic abilities giving him an extra boost. Landing, he looked around and saw a girl with some kind of cat outfit on about to be mauled by some big ugly, hairy thing. Dante was there in only a few steps. He grabbed the thing by the back of the back of its neck and tossed it aside easily.

Normally he would take the thing out, but the girl, Willow, had told him something about a spell. Usually, when a spell was involved innocent people got hurt.

Brushing the thought aside, Dante picked up the fallen girl. The thing got back up, whimpered, and ran for it. "Wimp," he said with a smirk. He grabbed the girl and dragged her to the house, despite all the bitching she did. Once inside, he shut the door and sighed.

"Well, that was boring."

"Ok, what the hell is up with Jojo, the dog-faced boy?" the new girl half asked and half yelled at everyone.

"Hmm, not bad, not bad at all."

Cordelia Chase, the most popular girl in school and one of the prettiest, just looked at Xander as if he had lost his mind. Then again, since finding out about the underworld of Sunnydale, things like this should have been expected. To her further surprise, Xander took off his red long coat and offered it to her. She hesitated a little but took the coat and put it on, covering her exposed flesh.

Dante chuckled at the light blush the girl got on her face. Willow turned to her and started to explain what was going on to the best of her knowledge. As Dante walked past a mirror, he stopped and noticed his reflection. This just proved that things were getting weird, even for him. He still had the white hair, a trademark of his father, but his face was younger and far different. He looked at a small table and saw a picture of the young 'ghost', the noble lady, and the kid whose face he now had.

"Ok," he said walking over the girls and handing over the picture to the noble lady, "this is getting odd, and NOT in a good way."

Lady Buffy took a few moments to look at the picture and looked up confused, pointing to the blonde in the center. "What is going on here? Who is this person?"

"From what I can tell, lady, she's you and the boy in the picture is me. Looks like we're under some kind of spell, and a powerful one from the looks of it."

The young noble woman gasped and crossed herself. Unlike her, Dante knew not all magic was evil while at the same time not all was good, just unpredictable. It did explain a lot though. Like how he suddenly had someone else's face and how he felt like he knew these girls.

"Alright then," he said to himself and turned around, "another normal night for me. Hey, lady," he said looking at Willow, "you know anyone who would have a clue on what's going on here?"

"Giles," she replied, looking at the Devil hunter.

"Go to him and tell him what's going on here ASAP. The rest of us will stay here as long as we can."

She nodded and quickly disappeared through a wall. Of course, this just made Buffy freak out all over again. He rolled his eyes as he cracked his neck from side to side. He could tell this was going to be one of those nights.

Then the door opened up and in walked a tall man clad in black. He was pale with a slightly large forehead. His face had the appearance of someone who did way too much brooding. The girl, Cordelia, looked like she knew him but something seemed wrong.

Then it hit Dante. This 'guy' was some kind of demon, a very low-level demon. Hardly worth his time really. Then again, who was he to pass up kicking some ass?

xxxxxx

Angel was worried, VERY worried.

Usually, the demonic world was quiet when Halloween came up, something about a night off for them. Yet, tonight, he could see demons and monsters of every kind, and a few he'd never even seen before, running about causing mass chaos. He was lucky enough that his stealth was able to keep him out of any fights. It was also able to get him to Buffy's house faster. Angel opened the door and let himself in, thankful to Buffy for inviting him. He was happy to see Buffy there but she looked and felt different. Much to his own surprise, Xander and Cordelia were there as well. Cordy looked a little roughed up with parts of her clothes ripped and showing a little skin.

...And then there was Xander.

Since meeting the young man, Angel never liked him. The constant joking and teasing made him want to snap the boy's neck but lately, he was wondering if he could honestly take the kid. When Xander forced him into doing what needed to be done Angel felt like dirt. The look in the young man's eyes at those times promised nothing but pain.

"Xander," he started to say, "what the hell is---ACK!!!" A hand around his neck cut of anything else he had to say. Angel was tossed up against the wall like he weighed nothing. He hit the wall hard, VERY hard, harder then anything in his undead life. The pure power behind it was unlike anything he had ever felt before. Suddenly, a leather boot pinned him to the wall, the leather clad foot of Xander Harris.

Before Angel could attempt to push Xander off, though he doubted he could, Xander drew a very large black gun and aimed it at him. Normally, a gun wouldn't bother Angel but the odd 'dark' vibe he was getting off the gun, and Xander, scared him.

"Alright, who are you and why shouldn't I waste your sorry ass?" Xander grumbled out, more than ready to pull the trigger.

Things were getting VERY weird.

"Well, I'm waiting."

Angel had feared very few things in his long vampire life, The Master, Holtez, not being forgiven for his sins, and disco. Yet here he was, pinned to the wall by Xander of all people. He felt as if his chest was about to cave in from the sheer power behind it.

Whoever this person was, he wasn't sure it was Xander. The boy had never been this powerful.

"Wait! Don't hurt him, he's a good guy!"

Both men turned to see Cordelia pulling the coat around her tighter. She may have been scared but she was mostly pissed off. As for Buffy, she was hiding behind the brunette, scared at the outburst.

"You're kidding right?" Dante asked. "This thing, whatever he, or it is, is a demon. A weak one, yeah, but still a demon."

"I don't care! Put him down now!"

Sighing, Dante let the thing go, letting him slump to the ground. Angel's chest was killing him.

"Fine, lady, but if he suddenly starts to look to your neck for a snack, don't come crying to me. Got it?!" Dante twirled the gun in his hand and put it away with a grace that came from years of practice. He made his way over to a chair in the living room and sat down. He needed to think a few things out.

Wherever he was now, it was some kind of Nexus for demonic energy. Not as focused as some of the places he had been to, but strong nonetheless. The demons he sensed were weak compared to the ones he usually fought. Then again, there were many things in his world that wasn't here, such as Trish, his bike, and his collection of demon heads.

He missed them.

Getting bored, which was easy for him, Dante got up and stretched, feeling his back pop a little. He looked over to where the thing and two girls were. They were all looking at him as if he was the devil himself. Maybe he was to them.

"Ok look, this is how things are going to go," he said taking charge. "You, new guy, you and Lady Useless over here go secure the back door. Hello Kitty and I will check upstairs."

Angel just nodded and pulled Buffy, who was whining, into the kitchen gently.

Meanwhile, Dante started up the stairs with the girl trailing behind him. Cordelia was still looking at him with a little fear in her eyes, something he was used to seeing in people he saved. He got the feeling she was about to explode soon though.

"So," Dante said as he closed a window, "you know this Xander huh? What's he like?"

"A total dork. NO sense of style. He wears the most hideous shirts," she replied tossing her hair over her shoulder, looking and sounding like the typical California girl.

((AN to any females from Cal: gets on hands and knees PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!!!))

Dante chuckled to himself as he turned to her. "Didn't ask what he wore. I'm asking what kind of person he is."

"He's . . . he's ok I guess," she said unsure of herself. "I mean when someone picks on him he doesn't do anything, but when someone picks on his friends, well he's a little scary. He's still a dork though."

Dante looked at her closely. She was telling the truth about this Xander guy. He sounded like the kind of person Dante would like to meet. Also, from the way that guy downstairs acted when he pushed him into the wall, Xander had a little bit of a mean streak in him when it came to protecting his friends. Dante had had his suspicions and they'd been confirmed when he had the other guy to the wall, a part of him wanted to not only kill him, but to beat Angel to a bloody pulp first.

A loud scream from downstairs broke his train of thought. Dante drew his twin guns and raced pasts Cordelia, jumping from the top of the stairs down to ground level. He landed easily and raced to the kitchen, the scream's source. On the floor, grappling another thing, was Angel. He was doing ok, though his skills left something to be desired. Sighing, Dante grabbed the demon thing by the neck and lifting it easily, tossed him out the door. He made it look easy.

Angel got up off the floor, his eyes wide. He still wasn't use to Xander being this strong.

"Ok, what happened?" questioned the person who wore Xander's face.

Angel noticed the guns strapped to the guy's legs. One, the one that had been aimed at him before, was still giving off a dark aura, while the other one, made of chrome, was giving off a light aura. No doubt those twin guns could hurt him . . . if not kill him.

"Something attacked me," he replied quickly. "Buffy ran off when she got scared."

"Gee, wonder why?" Dante said looking at Angel, putting his guns away. "We need to go after her now."

"But, Buffy can take care of herself," Cordelia stated.

"Buffy could, but she isn't Buffy anymore," Angel said evenly.

Without a word, Dante stepped through the door looking around. The others followed behind. He had to admit, the girl had guts, while the guy . . . well he just hated his guts.

"Ok, people, we got a 17th century woman out there in a modern world with demons running around. Let's go get her back."

xxxxxx

Lady Elizabeth was running for her life. She didn't know where she was or where her father was. In one word, she was scared. The strange man with the pistols wasn't here to protect her from that other man with the demonic face.

"Hello there, my pretty."

The voice sent chills up her spine. Right in front of her was a large man, a pirate, holding a sword in one hand and a bottle in the other. She had seen men like these before when her father went to the docks and brought her along. Usually, she had her fathers' men with her to protect her, now she was alone.

She let out a little whimper. Just as he was about to touch her, the drunken man was pushed away from her. She looked up to see the man in red standing in front of her, between her and the drunken sailor. From behind her, came the two others that were with her in the house, the young woman and the demon.

Again she let out a whimper as she hid behind Cordelia, holding on the other girl's arm for dear life she screamed, "DEMON!"

"What's your damage?" Cordelia asked looking at Buffy. To her EVERYTHING was a demon.

Meanwhile, Dante looked over the pirate with a raised eyebrow. Spell or not, this guy looked like a fool. The only thing that even made him remotely scary looking was the sword.

"She's mine boy," the man said.

Even from where he stood, Dante could smell his drunken breath. Dante smiled, looked behind him to his 'friends,' and simply shrugged. He turned back to the pirate and aimed Ivory at him. The sound of the gun firing was like a cannon in the silent night. The pirate blinked and checked himself over and found no wound. His sword on the other hand was shattered. Before he could do or say anything else, Dante walked up to him and punched him out. The punch wasn't too hard, but not too soft either.

"Man, that felt good for some reason," Dante said as the pirate slumped to the ground.

"There you are! I've been looking all over for you guys!"

They turned to see Willow running up to them, panting. Dante wondered how a ghost could be out of breath. Lady Useless was still looking at the Angel guy, with wide scared eyes. Cordelia was trying to calm her down while looking at Angel as well. The guy looked at them both a little on the sheepish side.

"So," Dante said looking at Willow, "what happened?"

"Giles went to Ethan's to break the spell. He told us to find a place and sit tight."

"Not what I usually do," Dante said with a smile, "but I guess he's right. Yo, new guy, you take the rear. I got point."

He didn't wait for a response as he started walking, looking like he didn't care if they followed or not. As he suspected, they did follow him, Willow giving him the evil eye.

xxxxxx

Ethan often wondered if Chaos was the right way to go in life. Sure it was fun, but at this point he had second thoughts. Standing above him, looking rather calm, was his old friend Rupert Giles, a.k.a. Ripper. When he got to Sunnydale, he had thought that his old mate would be more librarianish. He was wrong.

"Now, Ethan, are you going to tell me how to break the spell?"

"You didn't say please," Ethan replied right before a foot connected with his ribs, making him spit up blood.

'Ripper' looked at him with an almost dangerous glint in his eyes. Things were getting not only weird, but dangerous, especially for Ethan.

xxxxxx

Dante just knew they were being followed.

He couldn't shoot at them, not wanting to risk hurting innocent people. What he did do was move everyone into an old empty warehouse. He and Angel quickly barricaded the large doors and moved back some more.

"Are you SURE I can't shoot anyone?" Dante asked Willow for the millionth time.

"No you can't! Look, we just have to wait for the spell to break," she replied. She prayed it was soon.

Suddenly, the large doors were pushed open. A group of demons came in with one leading the way. Dante had to blink a few times to make sure he was seeing who he thought he was seeing. The one leading the demons . . . was Billy Idol.

"Well, this is new."

xxxxxx

"I'm afraid," Giles said as he cleaned his hands, "your ribs can't take much more of this. Now, how do I break the spell?"

"The bust of Janus," Ethan said through bloody lips. "Break the bust!"

Giles stepped over his old friend and grabbed the bust. He lifted it up into the air and smashed it on the ground, shattering it to pieces.

The energy that was let loose nearly knocked him over.

xxxxxx

"Him you can shoot," Willow yelled as she spotted Spike.

That was all Dante needed to hear. He got up fast and lifted both guns, aiming them at the blond with a smirk. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, a wave of energy passed through all of them, knocking those who were affected down.

Xander opened his eyes, his head throbbing. He felt like a vampire had danced on his head. He looked up to see Buffy handing Spike his sorry ass. As usual Spike made a run for it as soon as Angel was about to step into the fight.

He got up and looked around, noticing little kids crying and looking scared. Willow had disappeared, returning to her body he hoped. Buffy was draped over Angel, and Angel was just taking it in. Cordelia looked on, jealousy written clearly all over her face.

"Come on guys," Buffy said. "Let's get these kids to their parents and head home. I'm beat."

Xander kept quiet. He hung back, avoiding their gazes and questions. A few minutes later, Willow rejoined them. Xander sighed in relief but noticed she was dressed differently. The group broke up, each one heading home.

Minutes later Xander shut the door to his room. It was a good thing his parents were passed out on the sofa. He didn't want to bother with them right now. Without warning, Xander fell to the floor clenching his head. It felt like it was on fire. He struggled to his bed and sat down, slinging the sword off him and setting it on the bed.

Taking a few deep breaths, the pain gradually started to leave. He rose slowly and walked to the mirror. He looked like his old self, having taken the white wig off as soon as he'd got home. Moments later headache was completely gone.

What wasn't gone were the memories of Dante Sparda.

What wasn't gone were the two guns, Ebony and Ivory, that were still VERY much real.

What wasn't gone was the sword, Dhylec.

What wasn't gone was the light reddish tint in his eyes.

Part of Dante was still in him.

xxxxxx  
TBC  
xxxxxx

A/N:  
Beowulf BX: Wow, my first fic. Go me.

Xander: Yeah, I liked it, but please, for the love of god, don't turn me into a broody SOB like Dead Boy.

Beowulf BX: Yeah, yeah, ya whinny lil bitch.

Xander: WHAT YOU SAY? pulls out Ebony and Ivory

Beowulf BX: RUNS AWAY!!!!

A/N2:  
Look at my profile for specs on any and all weapons and cars in this fic :)


	2. This is going to be one HELL of a party!

xxxxxx  
Time: A year later, during 'The Zeppo'  
Place: Xander's warehouse apartment  
xxxxxx

Xander slowly opened his eyes, letting them get used to the light. He hated nights like last night. The gang had just taken on a small band of demons called The Sisters of Jhe. It was a small group, not all that big, only a few demons. There hadn't been as many as he had first thought. Also, not as tough as he'd thought either. Hence why he'd let himself be tossed around.

To be honest, he was getting tired of playing the part of the fool, yet he felt as if something was pulling the strings from the shadows. Something, or someone, was planning something big. Ever since Halloween, he could feel the demonic energy flowing around Sunnydale. At first, he hadn't understood what was going on. Cops, teachers, and parents who grew up here just ignored what was going on. It was almost as if some of them were ordered to do so.

Getting up, Xander stretched, making his back pop. He stumbled to the bathroom with a smile on his face. He still couldn't get rid of the goofy grin as he remembered how he 'talked' his old man into signing those papers.

xxxxxx  
Flashback:  
Time: Last Summer, after Buffy left Sunnydale  
Place: Harris Home  
xxxxxx

Xander yawned as he closed the door behind him. Another night of demon hunting alone had stretched into the hours of early morning. Since Buffy had run away, the Scoobies had stepped up to the plate in the Slaying department. Xander, though, had found the experience liberating.

Xander had retained the powers, abilities, skills, and weapons of Dante. Whenever a demon or vampire got away, he would always hunt it down and kill it later. It was easy for him, too easy. Yet all these powers had a price, the price of innocent lives. Lives like Jenny Calender and Kendra to name two. He sighed as he thought of the two women he had loved, each differently. Part of him wanted to kill Angelus when he had the chance. He really wanted to rip him a new belly button but it was too late.

In the end, it hadn't been power or skill that killed Angelus. Just a simple lie.

Xander was half way up the stairs when he heard, "Xander! That you, boy?! Get your ass down here!"

He sighed as he made his way back downstairs and made his way to the living room, where his mother and father, if he could call them that, were slumped over on the sofa. It was times like this Xander hated having an enhanced sense of smell. He could smell the booze just flowing off them.

"What do you want, old man?" Xander asked in tired voice.

"Don't gimme any lip, boy!" the elder Harris male yelled. What surprised him was the lack of fear or submission on his son's face. In fact, the boy looked bored. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Like you care, old man. Why the sudden interest anyway?" Xander asked as he arched an eyebrow. He was always on edge when his father took interest in anything he did.

"Look boy, as long as you live under my roof you will do as I say! Now I want you to get us something to drink! NOW!"

By now the yelling had woken his mother from her drunken stupor. As usual, she looked like she didn't really care what was happening. And as usual, Xander could give a rat's ass. He gave up asking for his mother's help a long time ago.

"Fuck off old man," Xander said, almost spitting in his fathers face. He barely held in a laugh at the look his old man had. The confusion, anger, and shock was clearly written on his face. Xander had been getting tired of his parents but had never had the confidence to do anything about it.

That was until now.

As expected, his father pulled back his rather large fist and got ready to throw a hard, if somewhat clumsy, punch. Time seemed to slow.

Before the punch even reached his face, Xander grabbed the fist with his hand easily. The look on Tony Harris' face was priceless. Xander had seen the same look on hundreds of bad guys in kung fu movies, now he knew how the good guys felt.

An eerie silence fell over the Harris household. Both his parents looked at their son like he was a total stranger. Then the silence was broken by a loud Snap. At first Tony Harris didn't feel anything. For what seemed like hours but was only seconds, nothing happened. Time returned to normal and Tony screamed out in pain. Xander had broken his left hand with little, if no, effort.

Holding his hand, the senior Harris stumbled back against the wall and fell to the floor, still crying out in pain.

Jessica Harris was looking on, wide-eyed and in shock.

Xander Harris was smiling. He reached into his jacket and after pulling out a set of legal papers, tossed them on the floor in front of his father. "When I get back, old man, those better be signed. By both of you."

With a cold glare, Xander turned and went upstairs to his room. Tony, on the other hand, still whimpering about his left hand, looked at the papers. The only thing he could make out through the pain and the drunkenness was a few legal terms. He knew exactly what they meant though.

Emancipation Papers.

He was still looking at the legal document in front of him as Xander's footsteps were heard coming back down. Tony looked up, blinking away the tears in his eyes, and stared into the icy, dark eyes of his son. A large dark green duffle bag and a guitar he had gotten from his Uncle a few years ago were slung over the boy's right shoulder. The look in his son's eyes sent a shiver up and down Tony's spine. Deep down, since last year, he had been scared of Xander, very scared of him.

"I see you still haven't signed those papers," Xander said. "See you need some...motivation." He reached down and grabbing Tony Harris by the neck, lifted the man up into the air, feet dangling only a few inches from the ground. As casually as he would toss a tissue paper, Xander threw his father into the living room where his mother was still looking on bug-eyed.

Tony landed hard with a loud thump. It had been enough to hurt him but not knock him out. He tried to get back up, only to find a boot pushing him against the wall. Above him was Xander with a small sneer on his face.

"You know, Pop," he stated, sounding rather bored, "I could do this all night. And with a smile on my face too. Now, why don't you just sign the papers…or do I have to get evil?"

Once more, Xander tossed the papers on the floor along with a pen. This time Tony Harris quickly signed the papers. His son reached down, snatched the papers away, and looked at them. Nodding to himself, he moved the boot from his father and looked over at his mother.

"Your turn, Mom. Do you want to do this the easy way or the hard way?"

Jessica Harris didn't need any more convincing. She quickly took the papers and signed her name. After what her son had done to his abusive father, Jessica didn't even want to think of what he might do to her. She timidly handed the papers back to her son and almost fainted when Xander snatched them from her shaking hand.

Xander looked at the papers and smiled. It was a real smile this time. He tucked the papers away in his jacket pocket and looked at his pathetic excuse for parents. "Well, can't say it's been fun 'cause it hasn't been."

With that said, Xander picked up his bags and left, leaving Jessica and Tony Harris in their misery. He was finally free.

xxxxxx  
End of Flashback  
xxxxxx

Xander's laughter rang out through out the old warehouse-turned-apartment. As he dried his hair, Xander looked around the place. Hard to believe a few months ago this place had been about to be demolished. Probably why he'd bought it for so little money.

After he had left his parents' place, Xander had stayed in the Sunnydale Lodge for awhile until he got enough together to buy this old place. Raiding the local vampire and demon nests had proven to be VERY profitable. They had money, gold, and other valuable belongings that they had either stolen or had had with them for a long time. A few items went straight into his own private collection of weapons or, as he liked to call it, 'Weird Shit.' Others were too dangerous to ever be used or owned, even by him. Those he destroyed. As for the rest, they were sold off to museums or on the internet. All in all, Xander was now a very rich person.

Xander casually draped the towel over a chair near the large screen TV. He grabbed a pair of blue jeans and a black shirt and tossed them on. Pulling on his boots, Xander glanced over at where his sword, Dhylec, and guns, Ebony and Ivory, were. The sword was placed on a Japanese wall stand while the two gun rested below on a small little wall table. After every use, he cleaned each weapon and placed them back where they belonged. Like Dante, Xander respected his weapons.

He made his way over to the kitchen to fix breakfast. As he did, he thought about the changes he'd gone through and tried to figure out what was really going on in the small town of Sunnydale.

As far as he could guess, Dante's powers had remained due to the fact of their supernatural origin. Dante was half demon, or Devil. The hunter was the son of the most powerful warrior that ever existed, the legendary Dark Knight Sparda. It seemed natural that Dante's powers, abilities, and memories would stay.

The weapons, or Devil Arms, were another story.

First off, the sword Dhylec wasn't part of the original outfit. Xander assumed that since the bokken that had had already placed under a spell, so anything he had done to it had stayed. The sword, being of mystical origin, had gathered enough magical energy to stay when the spell wore off. Not only that, but like Xander, it had kept all of its powers.

His guns were easy enough to explain. A few days after Halloween, Xander started researching on the internet to support the memories he had. From what he remembered, these were no ordinary guns; no matter how many times he fired they never ran out of ammo or heated up.

Accessing Dante's memories, Xander learned Sparda originally created Ebony and Ivory after vowing to protect Earth. Their original names were Luce (Latin for 'light') and Ombra (Latin for 'shadow'). When Dante had inherited the guns, he'd sent them to an old friend, Tony Redgrave, to upgrade and make even more powerful.

While one gun was blessed with the divinity and judgment of Heaven, the other was cursed with the fires and damnation of Hell. The balance of these weapons depended on keeping the balance between their Light and Dark auras. When one was fired, if the other was shot immediately after, there was no need to ever reload the pistols, but only if balance was kept between the two.

Tony, master craftsman that he was, emblazoned images on each gun's handle. Ivory, with its Heavens handgrip had the image of Eva, Dante's mother, the guiding light for righteous judgment and purity. Ebony, with its black body, had the image of Beatrice, who quelled the evil soul within it, allowing it to work with Ivory. When Dante had gotten them back he'd been so pleased with the work he had a dedication engraved onto each gun, 'For Tony Redgrave - .45 Art Works'.

Xander shook his head, freeing himself from those thoughts. Each time he thought of his powers and weapons, he always got a headache. Getting up from putting on his shoes, Xander made his way to the kitchen to make something to eat. It was odd, but he and Dante had very similar lives.

Dante lost his mother, father, and his twin brother to evils of the demonic world, while Xander lost his to the evils of the bottle. Dante had lost his good friend, Tony Redgrave, and Xander'd lost his best friend, Jessie.

They had both lost many good friends and both swore to make Evil pay, big time.

Popping a pop tart into his mouth, he grabbed his jacket and raced downstairs. Originally, the warehouse had only two levels, upstairs being the office area. Thanks to the phrase, 'Money is no object', Xander had added floor and had the entire place renovated.

The top floor had been recreated into a large loft like apartment, with the bedroom, living room, and kitchen all connected. He had also had the workers build a guest room, just in case.

The middle floor was the dojo in which he trained. It was also where he stored some of his more unusual weapons such as poisoned swords, energy stilling knives, and magical bow staffs.

The ground floor contained the garage, workshop, and the more. . .volatile weapons were kept, guns, explosives, and (his personal favorite) rocket launchers. The workshop was where Xander made improvements to his weapons and his ride.

Xander smiled at his ride. It had, surprisingly, not taken him to long to rebuild the sleek Mustang. But it wasn't just any Mustang. This was a beautiful Restomod (see a/n) jet black 1969 Mustang Fastback with a super-charged engine that kicked out 900 plus horses. The body of the car had light armor welded around and into it. The body was lowered for a more aggressive look. The door handles had been shaved off and now had a remote entry lock. Custom lower scoops were sported on both sides. 18-inch rims wrapped in the best racing tires on the market completed the car.

Living only a few miles from the junkyard had come in handy. Xander had gotten everything he needed, and at a very cheap price.

Pulling out his keys, Xander pressed a button to unlock the car and got in. If there was one thing he loved most about his set of wheels, it was the powerful engine. He pushed a button on the dash of the car making the two-foot steel doors in front of him open enough for the car to get out onto the street. Looking into the rearview mirror, Xander watched the two doors close tight. The magnetic lock would keep pretty much any demon out, and since he had no intention of EVER inviting a vampire in, his place was virtually a fort.

He put the car into gear and burned some serious rubber on his way to school. The part of him that was still a little Dante, loved to go fast. Xander had to admit, going fast rocked; the Mustang Fastback was a great muscle machine. As he stopped at the light, he could almost see the awed look on other people's faces when they saw it pass by.

Xander pulled into the parking lot of Sunnydale high school. He was careful to drive slowly, partly so he wouldn't run people over, but mostly because he wanted to show off. Because most kids at Sunnydale High had brand spanking new cars, his old school Mustang was a rare and unique sight.

He saw Buffy and Willow walking a little ahead as he was about to pull up to an empty space in the back. They looked as if they were talking about something serious. No doubt they were discussing the other night, but Xander figured it was more realistic they were probably talking about keeping him out of Slaying for a while.

It had become apparent to Xander, as of late, that everyone was slowly pushing him out of Slaying. A part of him wanted to just pull out Ebony and Ivory and shoot a few demons in front of them. Another part knew exactly how the gang would react. They would either take his weapons away and give them to Buffy, her being a Slayer and all, or bind his powers if they could; failing that, try to kill him.

"Yo, ladies, what it is," he called out, pulling alongside them. Xander wished he had a camera; the look on their faces was priceless.

"Xander," Buffy started to reply after looking at him and the car, "what's that?"

"It's my thing, Buffy."

"Please tell me this isn't supposed to represent your penis," Buffy said with a disgusted tone in her voice.

"Yeah, Buffy," Xander replied glancing at her, "my penis is represented by a big black muscle car. Woman, what's wrong with you?"

Buffy visibly blinked a few times before realizing what she'd said. "Sorry about that, Xan. I've been a little out of it today."

"What's wrong? You know you can count on me."

Xander meant his words but could tell Buffy was trying to think of something for him to do. No doubt designed to keep him 'safe.'

Finally, she asked, "Could you get us some donuts for later on?"

"Umm. . .yeah, I think I can but it's going to be have to be after school when I get them. That cool with you?"

She smiled, the kind of smile you give when you're trying to hide something, and walked off with Willow to their first class. Xander narrowed his eyes as he watched them walk off. Something was definitely up with those two.

Putting the car in gear, Xander pulled into the empty spot he'd been scoping. He killed the engine and got out, noticing the weird looks he was getting from a few students. They'd never seen him dressed so normally. Usually, he wore bright, god-awful Hawaiian shirts. The looks some of the girls gave him had him wondering if his fly was open.

"Hey, Stud, looking good," came a sultry husky voice from behind him.

He turned around with a smile that widened when he saw Faith.

Faith was the kind of woman that could turn a gay man straight. She had on her typical tight jeans, black this time he noticed, with a tight belly shirt showing off her flat stomach. The jeans did nothing to hide her long legs. As usual, she wore her hair down, giving her a mysterious look. It looked like she had little to no make up on, but then she didn't really need any.

Xander had always had a thing for strong women and Faith was as strong as they came. The Slayer had an aura of sensuality about her that drew men to her, yet at the same time had a sensitive and hurt soul. She was strong, yes, but weak at the same time.

"I like the new look, Stud," she said looking him over, "and the sweet ride."

"Well, you know what they say about guys and big cars, don't you Faith?" Xander asked, leaning against his car's hood.

"And that would be?"

"Beats me. I was hoping you'd know."

Faith never knew how he did it but Xander could always get her laughing, no matter the situation. Anytime he saw her looking sad or too deep in thought he always brought her out of it with a smile and a quick joke.

At first Faith had seen Xander as a tag-a-long, someone who went along with Slaying for the glory. Then she'd thought that maybe Xander was hanging around to get some tail from her or Buffy after his break up with Queen C. Now she wasn't sure. She had seen him be serious once or twice in the past. Sometimes she'd catch him with a look in his eyes that sent shivers up her spine. His so-called friends never saw it, too busy with other things. That look made her wonder who Xander Harris really was.

She pushed the thoughts away as she smiled at Xander.

"Come on," he said with a roll of his eyes, "time to get our education on."

Later in the day, Xander sat under a tree during lunch. He sat staring at the small sandwich, soda, and apple he'd purchased even though he didn't feel particularly hungry. Bufffy and Willow had barely spoken ten words to him all day. Whatever they were planning, it was big and they wanted him out of it for his own 'protection.'

Xander chuckled at THEM protecting HIM.

If they only knew how many times he had saved them all, they'd have puppies. Whatever was going down, it was happening tonight, and would more then likely involve The Sisters of Jhe. It wasn't a coincidence that they just happened to be in town when every demon in town was starting to get jumpy.

Xander finished his small lunch and tossed the garbage into a nearby trashcan. He was so preoccupied that as he started to walk away, he bumped into someone.

"Oh man, sorry about that," Xander said with a sheepish grin. Then he noticed whom he had bumped into, and that just made his day.

It was Jack O'Toole.

From what Xander heard, Jack O'Toole was the resident psycho. According to the gossip vine, he'd been kicked out of every school he'd ever attended, either for having a weapon on him or decking a teacher.

"Watch were your going, Harris," Jack sneered as he opened his jacket a little to reveal a knife, "or else."

Xander simply raised an eyebrow and looked at the rather large bowie knife. It wasn't all that impressive as far as knives go; only about a foot or so long with a curved blade and wooden handle. Xander had seen, and owned, deadlier and meaner weapons.

He was about to respond but realized something was off about Jack. Xander felt something similar to the vibe he got off vampires. Also, he was in the middle of the school yard and a few people were looking at them. Xander simply smiled nervously (fake, of course) and backed up a little.

"Hey, easy man," Xander replied. "My bad. Totally my bad."

Jack simply looked him over in disgust and walked away. As he did though, Xander was able to get a better look at his aura and found that like vampires, Jack was empty, a walking shell. In other words, a zombie.

"Wow, and just when I thought you couldn't get any lamer, you surprise me," said a snobby voice from behind him.

Moments like these made Xander wonder if God hated him. It was the only possible answer at this point.

Xander turned around and sighed as he saw who it was. There she stood, Cordelia Chase, in all her fury, dressed in the best clothes money could buy. Her arms were crossed, pushing up her amble chest. She'd be a total hottie if not for the sneer on her face. Ever since their break up, Cordelia had gone back to her "Queen C" persona with a vengeance.

"It must be really hard," she started, "when all your friends have, like, superpowers. I mean Slayers, a werewolf, a witch, a vampire, and you. You're like this little nothing."

"Hey! I happen to be an integral part of that group. I have a lot to offer."

"Oh, please!"

"Well, I do."

Cordelia's sneer got a little nastier, if that was even possible, and she replied, "Integral part of the group? Xander, you're the useless part of the group. You're the Zeppo."

Xander winced a little. That had been his fear, deep down at one time but that was no longer true, if it ever had been. That had been back when he hadn't known who or what he was. It still hurt though.

"Here's a tip," she said as she started to walk away. "Cool - look it up. It's something that a sub-literate that's repeated twelfth grade three times has, and you don't."

As she walked away, Xander let the insults roll off him. The least he could do was let her vent on him anytime she wanted, seeing as it was his fault their relationship went to hell. It had been a rough time in his life, when the separation between Dante and himself started to blur.

He shook the thoughts out of his head and made his way to his next class. He didn't need any distractions right now.

xxxxxxxxxx

Time: Later that day, after school

xxxxxxxxxx

"Ladies, Oz, and G-man, I come bearing donuts," Xander yelled as he made his way into the library. As usual, they were all there with the exceptions of Dead Boy and Faith.

Books were all over the place, opened and flipped to different sections. From what he could make out as he passed, they were mostly on how to seal something. No one even noticed him looking.

"So," Xander said as he set down the box of dozens and looked around, "what's on for tonight?"

"Nothing much. Just research tonight," Willow answered.

Xander wondered if Willow knew how bad of a liar she was. "Wow, sounds like fun. NOT."

The light giggle from the girls sounded a little forced. Xander mentally rolled his eyes; they were so obvious.

"Xander, why don't you take tonight off? We're just going to be researching all night," Buffy commented as she snatched a jelly donut that Giles was about to take. It was a good thing Xander bought more than one.

"Yeah, maybe you're right. You sure you don't need my help?"

They all nodded, which was exactly what Xander had been hoping for. He grabbed a donut and waved goodbye, leaving them to their 'research.'

"Buffy," Giles said as Xander finally left, "are you sure you want to do this? We need all the help we can get tonight."

Sighing, Buffy put down the book she was reading and looked at Giles. "Yeah. Xander will only get in the way."

Giles and Willow said nothing, while Oz simply raised his eyebrow at the comment.

"As soon as Faith gets here we can plan everything out."

Meanwhile, outside the library doors, Xander was eavesdropping. His back was up against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest, and his eyes closed. With his enhanced hearing, he heard every word, even Buffy's last little comment.

He was tempted to burst through the doors and show Buffy how 'in the way' he could get but it would have to wait until later tonight. Instead, he simply opened his eyes, uncrossed his arms, and left his spot next to the doors. Xander made his way outside, jumped into his Mustang, and peeled out of the parking lot. He looked at the dashboard clock dashboard as he stopped at a red light. From what he gathered, whatever was going to happen would go down tonight, and sundown was about two hours away. He had just enough time to prepare.

Xander pulled up to his place a few minutes later and hit the button that opened the large steel doors. He moved the car through the doors and turned the engine off, the doors automatically closing behind him. Xander climbed out the restored Mustang and walked over to the stairs, pressing a button that turned the round slope the car was on so that it faced the doors again.

Xander tossed his leather jacket on the bed, thinking this was going to be a big night and there was no way he would miss it. It was time for him to stop hiding and show everyone what he could do. He turned the radio on to the local rock station as he made his way to his closet. Xander narrowed his eyes as he pulled out the things he would need, weapons and clothes, and laid them on the bed. He stripped his clothes off, leaving on his boxers and muscle shirt.

As he reached for his pants, the radio came back from its commercial break.

"---And we're back," the D.J. started off. "Next up is Nonpoint with their cover of the 80's song 'In the Air Tonight'. This is K-ROCK!"

The song started out a lot like the original but with more of a rock feel.

Xander let the music wash over him as he started to dress. First, he pulled on a pair of black combat B.D.U. pants that fit just right, no one would be able to grab onto them.

_I can feel it  
Coming in the air tonight  
Oh Lord  
I've been waiting for this moment  
For all my life  
Oh Lord  
Oh Lord  
_

He left his pants open, only zipping them up. Next, Xander grabbed a blood red shirt that had the Japanese symbol for 'Devil', the 'Kanji', emblazoned across the front. He tucked the long sleeved shirt into his pants before buttoning them and putting on his belt. The belt buckle was round with a demonic face on it. Just below the belt, he strapped on twin holsters for Ebony and Ivory. He tightened the cords to his thighs tightly so they couldn't tangle in a fight.

_Well if you told me you were drowning  
I would not lend a hand  
I've seen your face before my friend  
But I don't know if you know who I am  
Well I was there and I saw what you did  
I saw it with my own two eyes  
So you can wipe of the grin  
I know where you've been  
Its all been a pack of lies  
_

Xander pulled on his black, steel tipped biker boots with dark red flames around the toes and ankles. The boots went half way up his calves and had straps on both sides.

_I can feel it  
Coming in the air tonight  
Oh Lord  
I've been waiting for this moment  
For all my life  
Oh Lord  
Oh Lord  
_

Finding the boots a perfect fit, Xander grabbed a pair of custom-made gauntlets. These covered half of his forearm, and like his boots, could be strapped tighter. He punched the air to see if anything was loose.

_Well I remember  
I remember don't worry  
How could I ever forget  
It's the first time  
The last time  
We ever met  
But I know the reason why you keep me silenced up  
No you don't fool me  
Cause the hurt doesn't show  
But the pain still grows  
It's no stranger to you and me  
_

Xander slowly inspected himself and found everything strapped on securely. Now it was time for weapons.

He grabbed Ebony and Ivory and looked them over. These powerful guns were his to use, one with the judgment of heaven and the other with the damnation of hell. He twirled them before slipping them smoothly in their holsters.

Xander grabbed his duster and slipped it on. He'd found it in a flea market a while back practically screaming 'buy me.' It was long, made of black leather, and had small, dark red tribal designs around the shoulders and back. Like everything else he now owned, the jacket was a perfect fit. Xander liked to think the dark duster was his cloak of shadows. It was just the thing he needed to blend into the darkest parts of Sunnydale.

_I can feel it  
Coming in the air tonight  
Oh Lord  
I've been waiting for this moment  
For all my life  
Oh Lord  
I Can feel it  
Coming the air tonight  
Oh Lord  
And I've been waiting for his moment  
For all my life  
_

He grabbed Dhylec and slowly unsheathed the dark mystical sword. The black blade, as usual, held its deadly edge. Xander sheathed the katana-like sword and, as the song started to end, looked at his reflection in the mirror.

_I can feel it  
Coming in the air tonight  
I've been waiting for this moment  
For all my life  
Oh lord  
Oh lord  
_

He had changed, not just mentally, but physically. The image in the mirror was the real him, the him that he was once scared of, but not any longer.

As the song ended he smiled at his mirror image. Xander turned, his coat flaring dramatically, and jumped off the railing that separated his apartment and the open air. It was a good two-story drop that should have broken or at least sprained something, yet he landed smoothly as if stepping off the last step of a stair.

The brunet walked over to his car and got in, placing his sword on the seat next to him before starting the powerful Shelby engine. Xander activated the steel doors and pulled out into the street, grinning as the doors closed. He shifted gears hit the gas hard.

"Looks like this is going to be one hell of a party!"

It was time to stop hiding.

xxxxxx  
TBC  
xxxxxx

Beowulf: Wow...two chapters up...I'm on a roll. Ok people, you know the drill, go to the profile to see the car link...also Nonpoint is a kick ass band!


	3. Side Story One Of A Kind

xxxxxx

Time: Three weeks after Buffy left  
Place: Sunnydale Motor Lodge

xxxxxx

It had been months since Xander had moved out of his parents' house and into the Sunnydale Motor Lodge. He was tempted to grab a flame thrower and roast his current place of residence.

This place was unfit for anyone, human or demon, to live. The paint was peeling, the rooms were in horrible condition, not to mention the smell. It was a good thing that Xander stored most of his things, clothes mostly, at his Uncle Rory's home.

His Uncle Rory was among the few family members Xander liked to hang out with. Unlike the others, and pretty much everyone in Sunnydale, Rory knew of the things that happened after the sun set. Being in the Special Forces and all, he'd seen a lot of weird things. That was one of the main reasons Xander liked him; Rory didn't pussy foot around with you.

His thoughts drifted back to his parents for a second. The last he'd heard, they had sold the house and left for parts unknown, without telling him. All in all, Xander couldn't care less.

Months into his solo missions (which had become more and more frequent since Buffy left) he'd ran into a slight problem. A few nights ago a pack of demons had gotten away by car, no doubt stolen. He was fast, but not that fast. Also, with his luck, there would be other demons or vampires with cars or motorcycles.

In the end, there was only one way to resolve this new dilemma.

"I need a car," Xander said to himself as he looked through a buy and trade car magazine. The problem was that though was the fact that it usually only had standard import or cookie cut cars. He was half tempted to get a motorcycle but was worried his long coat might get caught in the rear wheel. In the end, a car was the best way to go.

With a sigh, he tossed the magazine aside and stretched out. It was a good thing that today school had been closed for some unknown reason. With it being Friday he had a long weekend to look forward to and could put his thoughts solely into looking for a ride.

Easier said then done

xxxxxx

Few Hours Later

xxxxxx

Blinking a few times, Xander wished he had brought a pair of sunglasses like his uncle had. The glare coming off the scraps of metal wasn't really all that bad, just annoying.

Standing before him in all its glory, was quite possibly the biggest junk yard he had ever seen. Though, from the looks of it, it was almost entirely made up of old junked cars. The yard, located a few miles outside of Sunnydale, was owed by an old friend of his uncle's from his military days. 'Sam's Yard' as it was called, was huge, easily the size of a small town, maybe a little bigger.

From what Rory said, this was THE place to go for used classic cars and parts in the state of California. Everyone came here to get shells, parts, or whole cars for projects.

"Alright," Xander said looking over at his uncle, "I give…What are we doing here?"

His uncle smiled and slapped him on the back hard. For an older man he could still hit hard, though it didn't hurt Xander.

"We're here to get you a new car, boy."

With that the older man walked away, leaving Xander standing there blinking.

"I just HAD to ask, didn't I?"

With a groan, Xander went after his uncle, wondering what he had gotten himself into this time.

xxxxxx

Sam Foster was a simple man with simple needs. Since retiring from the Army Special Forces, he had returned to Sunnydale and opened his business. Oddly enough, said business was a gold mine, despite what his old crew used to say. California was known for not only its sunny beaches, but the place to get parts for classic cars, or the cars themselves.

It was roughly half past noon and the day had been somewhat slow. Not slow enough to be considered a bad day but not busy enough to be considered a good one either. The only high point of the day was that he was going to see his old friend Rory Harris.

The two men went back a long way. They had started out in the same boot camp and were stationed in the same squad together. Yet, even before that, they were close friends.

Rory had called a few minutes ago saying that he was coming over to visit along with his nephew, Xander. From what Rory told him, the kid was looking for a car. Lucky for him, they were coming to the right place.

His train of thought was derailed by the light knocking at his office door. Pulling his feet off the desk, almost knocking over a small pile of papers, he yelled, "Come in!"

The door opened, revealing his long time friend, Rory Harris. With a laugh, the two embraced in a big brotherly hug.

"Rory," Sam almost yelled, "were the hell have you been?"

"Yeah, yeah, you always say that! We just saw each other about, what, a month or so ago?" 

"Details, old man, details."

The two laughed again and you could hear the years of friendship rolling off of them.

xxxxxx

Xander stood back and watched the two old friends laugh and joke with each other.

As he looked on though, he felt a slight stab of pain in his heart. It was moments like these, among others, that reminded him of his own friend, Jesse, who was no longer alive. He wondered if Jesse had lived, what would have happened.

"Hey, kid," he heard his Uncle say, "ya still there?"

Blinking his thoughts away, the young Devil-Hunter looked up to see both older men looking at him. He had spaced out again.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Went into my own little world for a second there."

"So we noticed," Rory responded dryly.

Xander had the good grace to blush slightly under the slight glare of his Uncle. With all that behind him, he was quickly introduced to Sam. He instantly liked the older man; he reminded him in many ways of his uncle.

They sat down and Xander explained it all to Sam, from Halloween night and the spell to him leaving his parents, changing his last name, and now hunting on the side with his new powers. All in all he took it rather well.

"YOU GOT TO BE SHITTING ME!"

Well…more or less.

xxxxxx

After the shock wore off, Sam was more then happy to help out. It would also give him time to show off his place to Rory, who rarely came by.

He led them through the towers of slightly rusted and twisted metal. The place was even bigger than Xander had thought. Each tower was roughly the size of a small three-story house, each car from a different era.

As they walked, Xander listened to Sam explaining how his business worked. He specialized in high-end classic cars, ranging from 1965 all the way up to the mid 1980's. Once and a while he would get a special order for super rare cars or parts. That's where the money really came rolling in.

"From what ya tell me," Sam started, "I think what you need is a muscle car. Something like a Cuda or Challenger. Something with enough power and muscle to out race anything out there. Let's go see what we have, shall we?" 

Now in almost every male there is, what most people call, the 'car gene'. This little gene that is part of the male DNA is responsible for things like wanting to see things blow up, always wanting sex, and (you guessed it) a love of cars. Today, Xander's car gene exploded into full existence.

He passed several cars, all of which were unique and incredible, but nothing caught his attention. There was a Judge that would have been perfect, if it wasn't missing most of its parts. Next was a Roadrunner but it was in even worse shape then the Judge so he moved on. What he needed was something good, something that wouldn't take up too much of his or anyone else's time to rebuild. Xander was just about to give up when something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention.

It was slightly rusted but compared to the others it was in better shape. The tires needed replacing desperately and the rims were rusted and dented. The body of the muscle car had patches of rust where the pale pea green paint wasn't covering it. All in all it looked like crap. Yet, it looked as if it was solid enough.

"Good eye, kid," Sam said, coming up behind him. "That right there is a 1969 Boss Mustang. I just got her the other day. Been thinking of keeping of fixing her up and keeping her."

Xander moved over to the car, and slowly moved his hand along the hood scoop of the muscle car. Peeking inside, he saw that the interior, which was an off white, was still mostly there.

"Honestly, it wouldn't take too long to fix up. About a month and some change with the improvements I'm thinking about."

"Improvements?" Xander asked, not taking his eyes away from the car.

Sam popped in a stick of gum into his mouth and smiled. "Yeah, new engine, new suspension to handle the power, new paint job, and some body work here and there. Though for you we might need to add a few more things."

"Wait…for me?"

"Yeah kid, for you. I was just thinking of driving her around on the weekends but a car like that needs to be used hard. Besides, it was one of the best muscle cars around back in the day. And I think it can be again with a little TLC."

Before Xander could say anything more, Rory slapped him on the back and with Sam, went over to the soon-to-be-his muscle car. Between the two of them, they were able to start the car up and slowly wheeled it into the garage, Xander following behind them in a slight daze. He did have to admit, the car would look cooler after it was all fixed up.

In the end, it would be one of a kind.

xxxxxx

A month and some weeks later

xxxxxx

It had taken a few extra weeks, some luck, lots of paint, and a ton of new parts, but the Boss Mustang was finally finished.

It was panted a glossy black with a red stripe running down the side and around the back. On the back was a wing that would have originally been on this type of car. Seventeen inch rims wrapped in racing tires made the slightly lowered Mustang look more aggressive. The hood carried a scoop to let air into the rebuilt monster engine.

The rebuilt 429 engine, a trademark of the Boss, sported a super charger so it could kick out even more horsepower. Honestly, Xander didn't know just how fast and powerful it was, though he couldn't wait to find out.

The suspension, chasse, and transmission were all new and ready to handle the extra power. Oddly enough, though it looked like it would be, the car wasn't all that heavy. Light armor was welded into parts of the Mustang for added protection.

"Ok," Xander said, not taking his eyes off the car, "how the HELL did we do this? And in only a month or so?"

Sam and Rory simply laughed at the young Devil-hunter's slacked jawed expression.

Smiling, Sam rubbed his rag along the side of the car and opened the door for the young man. "The question isn't how we did this. The question is why haven't you gotten in yet?"

"Yeah, why haven't I?" asked Xander to himself more then anyone else as he got in.

The inside was a work of art. Everything was black and trimmed in red to match the car. The racing seats had a five point harness seat belt system. He gripped the brand new steering wheel tightly and looked over the brand new shifter and radio.

"Alright, son," Rory said as he crouched down, "you're going to want to be real gentle with her at first. After all, it's her maiden voyage." 

"Aw, come on. Gentle is my middle name," Xander replied as he turned the engine on. The roar of the engine was like a dragon waking up. It was so powerful, the whole car shook. Rory and Sam gave a whoop and a war cry as Xander revved the engine a few times, shaking the car even more.

Xander looked over at the two men and smiled just before putting the car into drive and peeling out of the garage, leaving behind only skid marks.

"I'm not going to see that car for a while am I?" Sam queried as he took off his cap and saw the car ride off.

"Nahh, I don't think so," Rory smiled.

"Yeah, didn't think so."

xxxxxx

Xander gunned the engine again as he turned a corner. The rush of the powerful rebuilt muscle car was addicting. So much so that Xander didn't even notice the tuner car he passed easily. When he did, he let out a laugh.

"Hmm…I need some tunes here."

Stopping at a light, Xander hit the button on the radio, starting up the sound system. He bobbed his head to the rock music as the song began to play.

xxxxxx

_I've got that feeling deep inside  
Well what it is I don't know  
My vengeance starts to change  
My mind gets filled with rage  
I raise my fists up to the sky  
_xxxxxx 

As he was waiting for the light to turn green, an expensive looking BMW convertible pulled up beside him. Inside were a sexy blonde and her boyfriend. The boyfriend, thinking his car was better, revved the engine a few times. Xander did the same. The entire muscle car shook from the pure power of the cars engine. The boyfriend's eyes went wide. With a shake of his head and a wink to the girl, Xander pulled out, leaving one pissed off guy and one blushing blonde.

xxxxxx

_Whatdaya see?_

The fear I see when I look in your eyes  
Makes you believe I'm one of a kind (one of a kind)  
The fear I leave in the back of your mind  
Makes you believe I'm  
One of a kind

Hey, Hey, Hey, One of a Kind  
Hey, Hey, Hey, One of a Kind

_And Now I feel like I'm alive  
Don't know just how I got so low  
These voices in my mind  
Tell me it's killing time  
It is a thrill I can't describe  
_xxxxxx 

He stopped at a 'STOP' sign and let a couple of people pass. Each one of them were pointing and whispering at him and his car, especially the girls. As soon as they all passed, he gunned it again, leaving a few of the girls holding down their skirts. The wind the car kicked up was more than they expected.

xxxxxx

_Whatdaya see?_

The fear I see when I look in your eyes  
Makes you believe I'm one of a kind (one of a kind)  
The fear I leave in the back of your mind  
Makes you believe I'm  
One of a kind

Hey, Hey, Hey, One of a Kind  
Hey, Hey, Hey, One of a Kind  
Hey, Hey, Hey, One of a Kind  
Hey, Hey, Hey, One of a Kind 

_The fear I see when I look in your eyes  
Makes you believe, makes you believe  
The fear that I see in the back of your mind  
Makes you believe, makes you believe  
_

_The fear I see when I look in your eyes  
Makes you believe I'm one of a kind (one of a kind)  
The fear I leave in the back of your mind  
Makes you believe, makes you believe_

The fear I see when I look in your eyes  
Makes you believe I'm one of a kind (one of a kind)  
The fear I leave in the back of your mind  
Makes you believe I'm one of a kind

Hey, Hey, Hey, One of a Kind  
Hey, Hey, Hey, One of a Kind  
Hey, Hey, Hey, One of a Kind  
Hey, Hey, Hey, One of a Kind

xxxxxx

As the song ended, Xander turned the car around and headed back to Sam's. This was more than enough of a maiden voyage. It was time to head back.

xxxxxx

Rory and Sam were sharing a case of beer waiting for Xander to get back when they heard the sound of an engine. They turned to see the Boss Mustang roll up to them, coming to a dead stop. Xander stepped out of the muscle car with a huge grin on his face.

"I want to help old people, I want to see the world, but what I REALLY want to do is drive this CAR!"

The two men laughed, Sam tossing Xander a beer. With a nod from his uncle, Xander popped it open and took a swing of it. As one they turned back to the Boss and raised their bottles to it.

"To the rebirth of this muscle car," Xander started. "It truly is one of a kind."


	4. Making Devils Cry: Let's Rock baby!

xxxxxx

It was nightfall by the time Xander pulled up to the cavern, the same one the Sisters of Jhe were the other night. Whatever was happening, they were behind it. Grabbing his sword, Xander got out of the car and looked around. He could sense the demons inside.

"Man," he said to himself, "this is almost too easy. Then again, they are stupid."

With that, Xander made his way into the cave, his eyes scanning everything around him. He may have not been able to see them yet, but his senses told him where they were. From what he could tell there were only three of them. The best part was that one of them was the one that had tossed him around the other night. With a grim smirk on his face, Xander turned the corner.

There were two demons in front of him. Both had their backs to him and looked as if they were collecting weapons. The third one he sensed was near by. He would take care of that one later.

"Ladies," Xander said, startling the demons, "if I could have a moment of your time. I'd like to ask you a few questions."

Deep growls were his only answer.

"I'll take that as a maybe."

The first demon lunged for him, ready to take his head. He had to admit, the demon was fast, but he was much faster. Xander drew Ebony, with eased practice and fired right into the demon's head, blowing it clean off in less then five seconds. The body was flung back, due to the force of the blast, and slammed into the wall next to the other demon. That one took its eyes off Xander for a moment and looked at the now headless body, its blood spilling all over the ground.

The demon looked back at Xander only to receive a boot kick in the gut, sending it flying into the same wall as its sister demon. Before the demon could react, Xander knocked its feet out from underneath it, sending it to the floor. He placed his foot on the demon's chest, keeping it pinned to the ground.

"Now," Xander said as he put Ebony away, "I'd like to ask you a few questions. Oh, and please speak English. I know you can."

The demon only snarled and tried to claw him. Xander sighed as he smacked the demon upside its head with his sheathed sword.

"Hey now, stop it, or else." Xander drew Ivory and aimed it at the demon's head, making it stop and narrow its eyes at him.

"Good, now, what do you and your. . .lovely sisters have planned for tonight?"

"Like you can ever stop us, human," it replied in perfect English. "Tonight we will kill every one of your kind."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, like I haven't heard that before. So, when and where are you 'ladies' going to have this little bash of yours?"

The demon said nothing, so Xander applied a little more pressure to its chest, breaking a few of its ribs. The resulting scream of pain was loud, so loud it made echoes all the way down the cave.

"Well," Xander said, "I'm waiting for an answer."

Its eyes went wide and coughed up some blood. It screamed out, "Tonight, at midnight on the Hellmouth!"

"Midnight huh? Thanks," Xander said as he aimed Ivory at the demon's head.

"Wait! I told you what you wanted to know!"

"Yeah, what's your point?"

"I told you so you wouldn't kill me," the demon said as it thrashed around, trying in vain to pry off Xander's foot.

"I never said that, did I?" Xander asked as he squeezed the trigger, blowing the demon's head clean off. "Oh great, demon blood on my new boots. Now I know how Cordy feels."

He twirled Ivory in his head and put it away. Xander briefly looked around and sighed as he turned and started out of the cave.

From behind a pillar, the third demon came out. After witnessing what just happened, it was a little more careful then its two sisters. As quietly as it could, the last of the demons started to sneak up behind Xander, ready to tear his head from his body.

Only that never happened.

With lightening fast speed, Xander grabbed Dhylec's handle and drew the sword like a katana, which it kinda was. He never turned around, but twirled the sword once behind him with a little flare. The demon stiffened as Xander reversed the grip on his sword and slowly slid the spine of the curved sword along the sheath. Finally, the human slipped the sword home, his eyes closed in boredom. The light 'click' told him Dhylec was back in the scabbard and he opened his eyes. Xander never looked behind him; he simply started to walk away from the still frozen demon.

The demon blinked once and looked down to find a thin line from its right hip to its left shoulder. That same line soon started to spill blood. Suddenly the upper half of the demon's body started to slide along that line, while its lower half slid in the opposite direction. As the demon laid there on the cavern floor, slowly dying it wondered who that man had been and how a simple human had killed it.

Xander sighed as he sat in his car and looked at his clock. It was roughly two hours to midnight. Only three demons had been in the cave. That could only mean one thing; the other demons were spread out around the town.

"Ok," Xander mumbled to himself, "so they aren't that stupid."

With a sigh, he started the car and sat there, letting the engine shake the Mustang. Xander put the car into gear and pulled onto the street. There wasn't enough time to hunt down each and every one of the demons, and he didn't know just how many there were.

"What to do now?"

xxxxxx

Jack O'Toole was having a pretty good night so far.

He had just threatened a few kids at the Bronze, managed to evade the cops, and now he was on his way to 'look up' some old friends. All in all, it was panning out to be a good night and it was about to get better.

What Jack never did see though, was the black Mustang following him at a safe distance. Not even when he pulled into one of Sunnydale's MANY graveyards. Tonight, the stars were aligned for the voodoo ritual.

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a strange looking talisman he had stolen from his grandfather, a voodoo high priest, the same man that brought him back from the dead. Just as Jack was about to begin chanting, a voice from behind scared the hell out of him.

"You know, Jackie-boy, you really shouldn't do that. The vampires have a copyright on the whole 'raising-from-the-grave' thing."

Still shaken up, Jack reached into his jacket, pulled out his foot long bowie knife, and turned around to face the owner of the voice. Much to his surprise, the guy standing before him was none other then Xander Harris. He was dressed differently, sure, but he was still Xander.

That was Jack's first mistake, underestimating Xander.

"What the hell are you doing here, Harris?" Jack yelled.

"Hey, keep it down will ya?" Xander said as he moved towards him. "You'll wake the dead. Though, I think most of them are already awake. Still. . ."

Xander smiled as he saw the look in Jack's eyes. He was paying no attention to the fact that Jack had a knife or the fact that he was a little on the crazy side. With a small smile on his face, Xander stopped only a few scant feet away from the knife-wielding zombie.

He looked at the long blade then back at Jack with a bored expression. "Really, Jack, you know better then to play with sharp objects. You might get cut."

Suddenly, there was a flash of something, a thin something, and then it was gone. Jack stood there blinking, looking around. From what he could see, nothing was wrong. The only thing that was different was that Xander had his hand on the handle of his sword, slowly resheathing the blade.

"Oh, that was so scary," Jack said with a sneer as he slashed the air in front of him with the knife.

Xander was not impressed. In fact, the look on his face showed he was still bored. This only enraged O'Toole more. So much so that it made him charge straight in, ignoring the little voice in the back his of head, telling him to run. Just as he lunged, his head snapped back. He saw his own body stumble a few steps then fall.

"What the fuck?" his head yelled, surprised he could still talk.

Xander stepped over the headless and fallen body and made his way over to the head. Jack rolled his eyes so he could see up, only to have a gloved hand grab him by the hair and pull it up.

"Hey, Jackie-boy, did you do something to yourself? You look like you lost weight." Xander chuckled at his own joke as he tossed the zombie head up and down like a ball.

Xander reached his car, popped open the trunk, and pulled out an empty sack.

"What the hell are you doing, Harris?" Jack's head yelled, his eyes wide and angry.

Xander simply tossed the head into the sack and looked in just before he closed it. "Well, Jackie, my boy, I'm keeping you around for while. You see, I got a few questions and need some answers, answers I'm guessing you have."

Before the head of Jack O'Toole could say anything more, Xander closed the sack and tossed the head in the trunk, hard. He chuckled as the zombie head started to curse. He closed the trunk before Jack started to use more colorful language.

Xander got in the car and leaned back. Leads were getting far and few between on what exactly was going down tonight. He had a rough idea from what the demon told him, but there was still something off. Normally, on a night like this, there would be more cop cars. Also, there would be a few more demons rambling about as well. Something, or someone, was pulling the strings in and around Sunnydale.

He started the powerful engine and pulled onto the street, leaving the cemetery behind him.

xxxxxx

She grunted as her back hit the wall.

Faith was NOT having what one might call a 'good time.' In fact, you could say she was having the worst night of her life.

She had decided, against her usual habit, to come in early and help set up things for the big fight, only to have Red (Willow) chew her ass out in her innocent little way. Faith had tough skin, but she could only take so much. After the comment about her opening her legs for any guy, she left. The sad part was no one said anything in her defense, not even Giles. All he did was mumble something about being busy while flipping through the pages of some book.

Faith had left the library trying to think of why she stayed in this small town. The only thing that really came to mind was Xander making her smile. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she never noticed the mean looking Jhe demon jumping her. The demon was tougher then a vampire and twice as ugly.

She was able to dodge the punch aimed at her head before slamming the demon hard in the gut with a solid punch. Just as she was about to finish it off, Faith was side tackled by another demon that was just as ugly as the first. Faith got up and backed off a little, looking at both demons. She had no weapons to even the odds. Things were not going well.

Out of the blue, as if by divine intervention, a huge black blur came out of nowhere and slammed into one demon, crushing and killing it. As the demon died, Faith saw someone jump out of a familiar black car and draw a shiny gun, aimed it at the remaining demon, and fired off a shot. Much to her surprise the demon's head exploded from the impact.

Faith blinked once or twice, trying to make sense of what just happened. One demon was crushed against the wall by a familiar black Mustang, the other had its head blown off by a very big and mean looking gun. The guy simply chuckled and twirled the gun around in his hand.

"And who says violence never solved anything," his eerily familiar voice said. He put the gun away and stepped into the light.

Faith, up until this point, would have said nothing in life could surprise her anymore. She was wrong, VERY wrong. Xander smiling face was the cherry on a very odd night.

"Xander?"

"That's what the ladies in my dreams moan every night."

"Xander?"

"Yes. Me Xander, you Faith." He pointed to the demon with that smile still on his face, "That demon. Now that we are all acquainted, shall we go?"

Xander opened the passenger side door and waved for Faith to enter. At first, she was a little confused, still trying to make sense out of everything.

"You need a little first-aid for your arm," he stated pointing to her arm.

Faith looked down and noticed how cut up it was and how her shoulder felt funny. She guessed it was dislocated. Reluctantly, she got into the car and let Xander close the door. A moment later, he got in and pulled the car off what was left of the demon and onto the street.

xxxxxx  
Xander's place  
xxxxxx

Faith wasn't sure what was more shocking, Xander blowing the head off a demon and saving her ass, Xander ramming his car into a demon and saving her ass, or Xander living in a pad like this. She'd been sure he was going to take her to her motel but they went in the opposite direction. Maybe Xander didn't know where she lived she reasoned. A part of her didn't want him to know.

Faith got yet another shock when she saw how big Xander's new place was. The former warehouse turned apartment was like nothing she had ever seen. As she got out of the car she noticed the floor start to move, almost falling on her ass as the car turned around to face the doors again.

Xander's laugh echoed through the warehouse as he made his way upstairs. Faith followed quickly, noticing how much stuff Xander owned. Some of it looked a little high-tech while others looked easy enough for even Buffy to use. What interested her the most were the weapons in the dojo. She loved weapons, especially daggers and short swords.

"Put your tongue back in your mouth, Faith. First-aid first, then you can look at the shiny weapons," Xander's voice called from above her.

She reluctantly made her way up the stairs only to have her mouth fall open again.

In front of her was a fully tricked out loft. Sofas, a leather love seat, and a large TV were to her right. To the left was the kitchen with a large stainless-steel refrigerator, a counter with several stools, and a stove with pots and pans hanging above it. Along the edge of the loft was a waist high metal railing.

"Wow, Stud, this place is, WOW."

Chuckling Xander replied, "Yeah, I like to think so." He placed Dhylec on the counter, took off his coat, and placed it on one of the stools. Xander left the guns strapped to his thighs.

Faith couldn't help but notice how he looked with only the red long sleeved shirt on. It was tight and showed off muscle tone she never knew he had.

Xander grabbed a small white box from one of the kitchen cabinets and walked over to the counter. "Alright, Faith, take off the jacket. I need to see how bad the cut is."

Faith smiled to herself, one of those smiles all her gender possesses, and took the denim jacket off slowly, careful not to make her shoulder any worse. She wished she had a camera when she saw Xander's reaction. His eyes nearly popped out of his skull as he tried not to stare too hard.

Faith had on a tight, sleeveless, low cut shirt that showed off her impressive bust. Her arms were bare and for the first time Xander saw the tattoo she had on her right arm. It was a tribal design that went all the way around her upper arm. It wasn't big but it wasn't small either. In fact, he thought it fit her perfectly.

"See something you like, Stud?"

Xander shook his head a little and smiled. "Faith," he said as he touched her arm lightly, "that list goes for miles in every direction."

Where skin met skin, there was a tiny spark. It sent shivers up both their spines. Xander looked into her deep brown eyes and held a small rag up to her mouth.

"This might hurt a bit, Faith. Put this in your mouth; it'll help with the pain."

Faith put the rag in her mouth but never took her eyes off Xander. There was a sudden, sharp pain in her shoulder as he pushed it into place. Her knees went weak for a moment and she almost fell out of the stool, only to have a pair of arms hold her up. She looked up, surprised by Xander grabbing her. He slowly set her back on the stool, unaware of the light blush on Faith's face. Xander took out a bandage and some alcohol and started to treat her wound.

"You're lucky it's only a scratch. The blood made it look worse then it is," Xander commented as he wrapped her wound. "With your healing factor you should be ok by morning."

"Thanks, Stud. You know," Faith said as she got up on her feet with a sensual smile, "I should really thank you."

Xander blinked a few times and finally got what she was saying. By then her hands were already on his shoulders.

"Whoa, Faith, easy there. Any other night, I would jump at the chance but tonight we need to keep our heads together."

It was Faith's turn to blink. Xander looked nervous but ready, willing, and able at the same time. Not to mention the fact that no one had ever turned her down before. She did notice Xander's hands were still on her hips.

"Your loss, Stud," Faith said as she pulled away from him and made her way to the sofa. Part of her was hurt that Xander didn't want to be 'thanked' while another part of her was happy that he didn't jump her right there.

'Smooth, Xander,' he thought, "real smooth."

Xander turned to see Faith sitting on the couch, her legs crossed, looking like she owned the place. Laughing to himself, he got up, grabbed some bottled water, and tossed her one.

"I'm going to regret this, aren't I?"

"I like to think so," she responded with her patented 'Faith smirk'. "So, I'm guessing you already know about tonight, huh?"

"You mean the Sisterhood of Jhe opening the Hellmouth to let loose some demon? Or how the others decided to 'keep me safe?' Or maybe how Willow insulted you again? Stop me if I start to get warm here, ok?"

"Wow, so you know all that?"

"Yeah, but I couldn't find any more of those demons. Looks like they all went underground to get ready for tonight."

"So, what are you going to do now?" Faith asked as she took a swing of water. Something was setting off her Slayer senses big time and Xander was the only one near.

"Well," Xander said as he got up and stretched, "I'm thinking of popping over to the library, killing the demons, killing the thing coming out of the Hellmouth, and then maybe picking up a pizza if I have time."

Faith chuckled lightly as Xander explained his 'plan.' Her smile slowly faded from her lips as she leaned on her knees and looked at Xander.

"You're not human, are you?"

The question wasn't unexpected. Xander had been waiting for her to say something eventually. Luckily, the look in her eyes wasn't that of a Slayer ready to jump into action, just someone who was curious.

"Yeah, you could say that," Xander replied as he sat down. "You know about what happened on Halloween, right?" She nodded as Xander continued, "Well, I went as possibly the meanest, toughest, badass demon hunter that ever existed. His name scares demons and makes others piss their pants. His father was a demon knight of the highest order while his mother was a normal human who loved life."

"Well, go on," Faith pressed, "who is he?"

Xander crossed his arms and smiled at her. There were times when Faith could be such a girl. "His name was Dante Sparda, the Devil Hunter."

"Wait a minute," she said as her eyes went wide, "I've heard that name. From that game right? Devil May Cry? You dressed as him?" At Xander's nod, she kept on talking. "I thought that you said you didn't keep any of your powers."

"No, Buffy said she started to lose some of the memories of her 'Lady Useless' costume. I never said anything."

"Yeah, yeah, so what did you keep?" Faith questioned.

"Eager little girl, ain't you," Xander chuckled. "I would have to say I have pretty much all of Dante's powers, save for a few of the special moves. But that's only because I don't have any of his other tools, like magical gauntlets and stuff." He grabbed his sword and pulled it out, showing off the black blade.

"I still have the weapons Dante had, like this sword and the guns. From what I can tell, since they were all magical items, the spell on them was stronger then they should have been."

Faith wasn't sure why but she wasn't scared of Xander. The Slayer part of her wanted to either run or try and kill Xander but another part of her just accepted it. After all, Buffy had a vampire with a soul, a witch, and a werewolf helping her out. Then it dawned on her. "Ok, I get that, but why didn't you tell the others about your powers?"

"Please," Xander snorted, "let's face facts. Buffy likes to be the one in power. If anyone else is even remotely stronger then her, she freaks. Oh, and let us not forget her double standard. Unless I'm not a brooding wannabe hero, I would have been staked. Not that it would have done much, but still…"

"Well, I guess you have a point," Faith said as she drained the water. "What now? You said you're going to the library?"

"Yeah. Thought you guys might need some back up." He sheathed the black sword and checked the time. "Wow, we've been talking for a while."

Faith looked at the clock, nearly half and hour had passed. This is the longest she had ever talked to a guy. Then again, Xander was opening up to her, placing his trust with her.

"Why? Why are you helping them if they kept pushing you out and treating you like dirt?"

Xander just laughed, and laughed hard, confusing Faith. "Why am I helping them? That's a good question, Faith. You are right, they did try to push me out and they did treat me like dirt. The simple answer to 'why', Faith, is simple. Because it's the right thing to do."

The answer was so simple it stunned Faith. Xander simply did things because it was the right thing to do. No more, no less.

Before she could think any more, Xander grabbed his coat and the sheathed Dhylec sword, glancing at Faith with a smile. "So, ready to go and save the world, Faith?"

Faith, grinning back, got up, walked over to the stool where her jacket lay, and put it on. "Stud, I was born ready," she said with a toss of her hair.

"I bet you were. Come on, Faith, I think you might need something."

Xander made his way to the downstairs dojo, with Faith following close behind. He made his way over to one of the lockers that housed some very impressive swords and grabbed a pair of sheathed short swords. He smiled as he handed them to a confused Faith.

The brunette slayer looked at the twin short swords and unsheathed them reverently. The handles themselves, slightly curved for a better grip, were roughly six inches and fit perfectly in her hands. She looked over the blades to find them curved like scimitars. They were roughly two feet long and made from a light metal. The twin swords were a matching set, each identical to the other. The sheaths matched also, made from tough brown leather.

She looked up at a smirking Xander, still puzzled. "For me?" she asked.

"Yeah, thought you might like them. I was planning to give them to you on Christmas but I don't know where you live. Anyway, the metal of the blades can absorb magic, so that's a little something extra."

Faith glanced from Xander, back to the swords, and back to him again. She smiled, blushing a soft pink. No one had ever given her a present before, let alone something as cool as the short swords.

"Xander, I don't know what to say."

"Well," Xander said with a wink, "thank you is a popular term us kids use these days."

"Smart ass," Faith said rolling her eyes as she slung the sheathed blades over her shoulder, held in a nifty back harness allowing her to strap them to her back for easy access.

Xander smiled and made his way down the stairs with Faith trailing behind. "It's not that smart. I sit on it, remember?"

Faith let out a girlish giggle that made her blush once more. Being girly wasn't something she was used to, let alone over gifts. Then again, it was a pretty cool set of swords.

They got into the car, and Xander started it up, letting the powerful engine vibrate the car.

"Atomic batteries to power, turbines to speed," Xander said with a leer as he looked over at Faith. "Ready to go, Slayer wonder?"

"Xan, Stud," Faith said with a raised eyebrow, "there are times when you're cool and other times you can be such a geek. Drive, now."

"Yes, dear."

With a press of the dashboard button, the gates opened and the powerful muscle car roared into the night.

xxxxxx

The trip was short and fast.

Xander pulled into the parking lot behind the school. He killed the engine and got out of the car with Faith.

"They already started," Xander said as he looked around.

"Already? Fuck, we better get inside, Stud."

Xander grabbed his sword, slung it across his back, and closed the door to the Mustang. He looked over at Faith who was rolling up her denim jacket sleeves. As she put her hair into a loose ponytail, Xander could see the change in her. She could be a total badass when she wanted to be, but that only made her look even sexier.

He smiled when Faith looked at him, and was rewarded with a smile in return. They kept on smiling as they made their way to the front of Sunnydale High. Xander stopped suddenly, and grabbed Faith, pinning them both to the wall. The move caught her off guard, and had Xander's hands dangerously close to her chest. It excited her but she wondered if this was really the right time.

"What's wrong, Stud?"

Xander's eyes were narrowed as he looked at Faith and said, "Looks like these demons aren't all that dumb. Check it out."

Faith glanced past Xander and spotted a mean looking Feryl demon. This kind of demon was large, roughly 7-feet-tall, with leathery gray skin, fugly, and had ram-like horns on either side of its head. It also was dumb as hell with a miniscule vocabulary.

"Fuck, what now?"

"What now?" Xander asked as he smirked. "What now is that I kill big and dumb there while you go inside and try to by me some time."

"You sure you can handle him?" Faith asked as she looked over the large demon and then Xander.

"Yeah, I got this. Ready?"

Faith nodded despite her worrying. She knew that Feryl demons were strong and wondered if Xander could really take it. Before she could say anything, Xander started walking right up to the huge demon.

"Hey, you with the horns! There's a limit on how much ugly one demon should have, and guess what? You just went over the top!"

Just as the demon turned around to face him, Xander pulled his fist back and hit the demon right in the face. To Faith's astonishment, the demon fell back a few feet from the blow. Looked like Xander kept more than just a 'few' powers. With one last look over her shoulder, she ran inside.

'You better be ok, Stud,' Faith thought to herself. 'I really wanna thank you now.'

As the demon got back up Xander waved him over. "Come on, ugly, I don't have all night!"

Faith ran into the library as fast as she could. Buffy, Angel, Giles, and Willow were all there, holding weapons. In front of them stood the Sisterhood of Jhe, the Hellmouth behind them, already opened with weird demonic sounds coming from it.

"About time you got here," Buffy barked as she settled into a fighting stance. "Where were you?"

"Probably off opening her legs for some guy," came Willow's reply.

Faith said nothing as she looked at the demons. She reached behind her, drew the short swords, and flipped them over, reversing the grip on them. Faith did hear Willow's little remark about her opening her legs but ignored her. She had better things to think about, like how she might not survive this night. Yet something in the back of her mind told her she would not only make it out alive, but be better then before.

…And all thanks to Xander.

xxxxxx

Xander ducked under the sloppy punch of the Feryl demon and slammed his knee into the demons gut, sending it back a few feet. The demon was strong, that was a given, but it didn't know how to use what it had, unlike Xander who did.

For a second, Xander looked at the windows of the library and could sense the opened Hellmouth. He narrowed his eyes as his right shot up, catching the punch from the demon with little effort.

"Sorry, pal," Xander quipped as he started to tighten the grip on the fist, "but I don't have anymore time to play."

The sound of breaking bones and a furious howl filled the night air as Xander crushed the larger demon's hand. The Feryl demon held its useless appendage and stumbled backwards in shock and pain. It looked up, only to find a pair of guns aimed pointblank at its head. The final thing it saw was a bright flash as the firearms fired.

Xander's cold eyes never left the headless demon's body. Whenever he killed a demon, whether with his weapons or bare hands, he felt nothing. It was like killing a fly or a roach for him, no pity or remorse for the fallen demon.

"Die as you are," he spat at the demon corpse.

Xander twirled the guns in his hands and put them away. He looked out the window; things were just getting started. Xander smiled as he suddenly got an idea.

Xander started to run at the window of the library, crossed his arms over his face, and jumped.

xxxxxx  
Start Xander's Theme (see A/N)  
xxxxxx

The tension in the room was thick as Buffy, Angel, Faith, Giles, and Willow stood looking around the room. Something was coming out of the opened Hellmouth, something very big with a lot of heads, claws, and tentacles.

"My God," Giles breathed as he nervously gripped his long sword, "it's bigger then last time."

"Where are you, Stud? We need you," Faith whispered to herself as she got into a battle stance.

Suddenly, before Buffy or the demons could move or say anything, a nearby window was smashed in by a large black figure. It twisted in the air and landed directly in front of them, slightly crouched. The figure, a human male from what they could tell, slowly straightened up. He had on a long black trench coat that reached down to his ankles and a large curved sword, like a katana.

"About time you got here, Stud," Faith said with a smile, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Yeah, sorry about that," he replied with a familiar voice. "Big and ugly wanted to know who was stronger, me or him. Guess who won?"

To everyone's surprise, as the tall man turned to face the group, they realized who it was.

It was Xander.

"Xander," Buffy yelled, "what the hell are you doing here?"

Xander chuckled as he looked at her with a raised eyebrow and replied, "Saving your skinny ass. Now, if you will excuse me. . ."

He could feel Buffy's astonished expression, as he turned back and eyed the creatures in front of him. There were roughly eight or ten demons, not counting the thing coming out of the Hellmouth. His smirk got a little more evil as he opened his coat to show off the two guns strapped to his thighs.

"Ok, ladies," Xander said as he cracked his knuckles and settled into a fighting stance, "let's rock!"

The demons charged and so did Xander.

The first one to make it to the man was to his right. Xander let out a crescent sidekick, catching it on the side of its face. As the demon went sailing, he turned around to slam his fist into another demon's face to his left. He ducked under an axe blade and shot out with a sweep kick that knocked another demon down. Xander kicked the fallen demon in the gut, sending it sliding into the others that were about to charge. All the while, Xander never lost his smirk.

The others were in astonishment. The very same person that they thought useless was now not only fighting, but winning. From the way he'd just moved it was obvious Xander had known how to fight for a while.

"Well, come on," Faith said. "Let's help him out!"

She charged in, the others moving behind. The demon Xander had kicked was getting up, only to see Faith's new short sword slice through the air and its neck. She let out a thrust kick that slammed one demon into another and sliced its head off easily also.

Still grinning madly, Xander could sense Faith and the others jump into the fray. Faith had already killed two demons and the others were taking on the rest. He reached for his guns, drew them, and shot off round after round. The sound made every person jump in surprise, save for Faith. Each gunshot found its mark in a demon's head or chest. Either way, they were dead.

Only six demons remained.

Xander looked at the Hellmouth and saw the first of many heads come out. The thing was ugly as shit. Its head looked like one of the monsters from 'Aliens', only with more teeth and not as pretty.

"Shit," he drawled as he looked over his shoulder. "Faith, think you and the rest can take care of things?"

"Yeah. Why?" she asked as she took another demon's head. Buffy and Angel were taking on the rest while Giles killed the ones they missed. Willow was throwing spell after spell at the ones that came close to her.

"I'm going to go and say hi to our new friend."

"Go get 'em, Stud."

He winked at her and made his way over to it as yet another head and some tentacles popped out of the hole. This other head was as ugly as the last one but Xander didn't even blink. He stepped up to it and just looked up at the heads.

The thing's heads stared back.

"Smile, ya ugly bitch," Xander shouted as he aimed Ebony and Ivory and fired, hitting the demon heads over and over again. Each time a bullet hit, the demon roared in pain and slashed out with one of its tentacles. He was able to dodge easily by either ducking or jumping out of the way. Xander moved faster then the thing could strike, all the while still firing.

As big and ugly as it was, it was starting to weaken. Another head popped out when Xander holstered his guns. He reached behind him and drew Dhylec. He slashed at one of the closest demon heads, slicing it clean off. The screaming head sailed through the air as it smashed through a table.

For one second everyone, including the demons, stopped fighting to look at Xander. He jumped into the air and slashed at the remaining heads. As he twisted and turned, Xander was able to cut through a few demon tentacles. With the grace of an acrobat, he landed on the railing of the library and turned around.

Everyone was looking at him at that second. His coat and sword were now stained with demon blood and he wasn't even breathing hard. Those who knew Xander were surprised at the sight. They all came to one conclusion at the same time; Xander was not, and had never been, useless. Right now, he looked, and fought, like a demon hunter.

Scary.

Xander sheathed the large sword and redrew his guns. He aimed Ebony and Ivory at the second demon's head and fired. Each blast hit its mark dead on. The head exploded under the rain of bullets.

Xander wasn't sure, but he could swear the demon was not only in pain but shocked, shocked that it could be hurt this bad. It only had one head remaining.

"Come on, you ugly piece of shit. I'm just getting started!" Xander yelled as he once again drew Dhylec. He jumped into the air, only to be caught by one of the tentacles. Xander wasn't in its grip long, as he slashed and hacked himself free in no time.

"I think," Xander said as he landed, "it's time to finish this, NOW!"

Suddenly, as if by command, the dark blade of Dhylec started to suck up most of the shadows in the room. These shadows started to circle around the blade in a mini cyclone. Xander gripped the sword in both hands and smirked, feeling the sword's power building.

By now, the others had killed the last demon and were staring at Xander, all eyes locked on the dark haired man and his sword. The demon he fought was like a god to the Sisterhood of Jhe, and Xander had all but killed it, though it looked as if that was about to change.

Faith's knees were shaking as she looked at Xander, not from fear, but excitement. Xander had shown her a level of power she never knew existed, a power he was easily able to control, a power he had earned, honed, and was now using. Deep down that was what she wanted, to hone her own power.

Buffy looked on at her Xander-shaped friend, unsure of how to react. There was one thing she knew for a fact; she was scared, VERY scared. Xander was showing skills and powers he'd never shown before. Skill and powers she never knew existed.

Willow was just in awe. She had seen Xander angry, scary looking, happy, sad, but this was the first time he was ever confident. The smirk on his face never left his face as he did the most incredible things, things he had never told her he could do before.

Things he was hiding from her.

Throughout the time he'd known the young man, Rupert Giles had seen small glimpses of the real Xander, a Xander that made his old 'Ripper' persona seem tame. Now he saw all of him, all of the real Xander, not the powers.

Angel was scared, scared beyond anything he had ever felt before. Xander Harris, the boy he hated with all of his soul, was stronger, more powerful then anything he had ever seen. He realized that Xander could destroy him at any time and without a second thought. And these thoughts were before he saw Xander's powers.

Xander jumped into the air as the demon's last head came charging at him. He gripped Dhylec tighter as he brought the sword up over his head with his right hand and swung down hard, letting loose the shadows that had the form of a blade themselves.

The blade flew at the demon and then through it. For a moment, nothing happened. Then a thin line started to form from the visible base of the demon's body and up the middle. That very same line started to grow more and more until the demon's blood started to gush out like a geyser. The demon's roars of pain echoed the whole school as its final head slumped down, finally dead.

As the large demon head slid back into the Hellmouth opening, Xander seemed almost to glide down to the floor, landing on his feet gracefully. He shook the sword, letting the green demon blood fall off the black blade, and slow slid it into its sheath. He slowly turned around and looked at each one of his friends, saying and doing nothing.

xxxxxx  
End Xander's Theme  
xxxxxx

"Well," Xander said breaking the tension, "I don't know about the rest of you, but that was fun."

"Xander," Buffy said inching her way to him, "how did you do that?"

"With style, Buffy, with style," he replied as he made his way over to the window he'd come in. "Now, if you will all excuse me, I'm out."

"What do you think you're doing, Xander?" Giles scolded, eyeing the young man.

Xander briefly looked around the large library, taking in the mess the demons, and he himself, had made. "It's called a dramatic exit, G-man. Besides, I'm getting out of here before I have to clean this place up. Later."

With a wink directed at Faith, Xander jumped out the window before anyone could stop him. Moments later, they heard the sound of a powerful engine and tires screeching away into the night.

They all stood there looking at each other.

Some of them were injured with a few cuts and scratches. The most serious injury was Giles's arm that looked like it needed to be in a sling for a day or two. Everyone wondered what would have happened if Xander had not been there.

Faith's smile never left her face after Xander left. The look on everybody's face was just too much. She twirled the short swords around once and sheathed the blades away on her back. Turning on her heel, she made her way to the library doors.

"And where are you going?" Willow inquired in a surprisingly stuck up tone.

Faith looked over her shoulder with a slender, raised eyebrow and said, "Taking Stud's lead and leaving before you make me clean up."

And like Xander, she left before anyone could say or do anything.

Arriving home, Faith tossed her jacket on a nearby chair and took the short swords off. They weren't uncomfortable, which surprised her. She placed them on the table, next to some stakes that she kept with her at all times.

As she stripped down and jumped into the shower, she noticed how everything had changed in one night. After tonight, things seemed to be. . .just less. The room was less grimy, the dirty back manager seemed a little less of an asshole, and the walk home was not as far away.

As she dried her hair, her mind went back to Xander. Part of her wondered what might have happened if he had taken her up on the offer to 'thank him'. Another part of her was happily surprised to find there were some decent guys still around.

She changed into her sleepwear, a pair of panties and t-shirt, and went to sleep, the smile never leaving her face.

xxxxxx  
TBC  
xxxxxx

A/N:

Beowulf: Xander's Theme is the same as the title of my story, "The Devil's Cry" from the Devil May Cry 3 Video game.


	5. Truths & Partners

xxxxxx

Warning: Extreme Buffy & Angel bashing ahead. You have been warned.

xxxxxx

Xander yawned loudly as he got up from bed.

The night before had taken a lot out of him emotionally. Showing his true face to everyone had been a huge gamble, but he counted it worth it. The looks on their faces had been priceless. Xander hopped into the shower, dressed, and got himself something to eat. School was about to start soon, and he almost overslept, again.

As he made his way to his car, Xander noticed that he wasn't wearing his usual clothing. He'd worn the other day's clothes just to see how people would react around him. Today, on the other hand, he just did what he usually did and tossed on something; only this time it looked pretty good.

He had on a black short shirt that had the words "A BEAST OF PREY" written across the chest, under that he wore a long sleeved shirt. A pair of blue jeans, slightly baggy, with a chain leading from his back pocket to his belt and a pair of black boots completed the outfit. All in all, not what he would normally wear.

"Hmm, not bad at all," he commented as he got into the Mustang and started her up. "Wonder what today will bring."

xxxxxx  
Lunchtime  
xxxxxx

Faith sat alone, at the table nibbling on what passed for 'pasta' in this school. She swore that the lunch lady was trying to kill them all with this junk. She idly poked the rubbery dish, her mind slowly drifting back to last night, more importantly, back to Xander.

Faith was a tough chick. Her motto had always been 'want, take, have'. Last night she wanted Xander, yet oddly enough, she had not been giving into her hormones. She did want him, that was a given, but Xander treated her like a lady. Not a slayer, not a piece of ass to be had, but as a real lady.

"Now," a voice behind her said, "why's a pretty lady like you eating alone? Thought you would be beating the guys off with a stick."

The smile on her face was automatic. She turned around to face a grinning Xander, holding a tray of food.

"Careful Xan, some of these guys might like me beating them with a stick."

Xander stood there for a moment, blinked and shuttered, "That's so not an image I needed, Faith."

She let out a little giggle that made Xander's smile widen. He sat down across from her and looked from his so-called lunch to her.

"You know, I think this is what's left over of that demon we fought last night."

"I was thinking the same thing."

They shared a small chuckle as they watched each other. Faith had a few scratches that were already healing, but was other wise all right. Xander, on the other hand, looked in prefect health, not even a scratch.

"So, how ya feeling, Faith?" Xander asked as he pushed his tray aside with a look of disgust. He did NOT like the food.

"Not bad," Faith answered, rubbing her shoulder. "A hell of a lot better then last night. Shoulder is a little sore though."

With an odd smirk on his face, Xander got up from his chair and moved behind Faith. Before she could say anything, he placed his hands on her shoulders and slowly started to rub. At first, Faith didn't know what to do or think. Her body had its usual reaction to touch, both being turned on and wanting to snap Xander's arm off. For most of her life, when a guy touched her like that, it was because he wanted something. Those feelings melted away (though the feeling of being turned on was still there, if not stronger).

Faith let out a breath she didn't know she held. The tense feeling in her shoulders soon melted away as she started to relax more and more. She closed her eyes as Xander's hands and fingers massaged her sore shoulder in tight little circles. Faith let a little moan escape from her lips as Xander hit just the right spot.

"Wow, only touching you and I get you to moan? Wow, go me."

Faith rolled her eyes at the comment, as she totally relaxed. She closed her eyes and let herself feel the pleasure she was receiving from the close intimacy. No one had ever touched her the way she was being touched now. Part of her wanted to toss Xander on the table and take him there. Another part of her wanted to toss him in the back of his car and take him there.

Xander removed his hands from her shoulder and heard a reluctant moan from Faith. The loss of physical contact, especially from what Xander had just done, made her want more.

"Aww, no more?" Faith asked with a little pout.

"Sorry, Faith, but I think we should ease up a little," he replied.

Faith blinked and glanced around, seeing everyone in ear shot looking at them. Most of the looks were directed at Faith from the girls, pure jealous hatred shining in their eyes. If looks could kill, Faith would be seven feet under.

"Oops?"

"Oops? That's all you have to say, Stud?"

"Well," Xander said with a smile, "how about 'oops' and a promise to do it again another time?"

"Deal," Faith compromised quickly with a smile of her own.

"Hey, I'm taking the rest of the day off, care to join me?" he asked with a wink.

"Ohh," Faith said with a smirk, "Stud's got a wild side to him, huh?"

Xander leaned close, looking her right in the eye and whispered, "Careful Faith, or I might show you how wild I can get. Meet me here in five?"

Faith nodded and she felt herself start to flush, but was able to push it down. Xander winked and walked off, his hands in his pockets and a smile on his face. Faith was left there with a dreamy eyed look. She could still feel Xander's hands on her shoulders, sending shivers up and down her spine. Shaking her head, she looked around and noticed the glares she was still getting. With a smirk, Faith got up and walked right past the girls, not paying attention to them.

She was starting to like this.

Xander smiled as he saw his 'friends' sitting at a table a little off campus. Giles's arm was in a sling but it didn't look serious while Willow had a few scrapes and scratches. Oz looked normal due to being locked up last night. Thanks to the full moon, he hadn't been able to fight. Finally, there was Buffy. Because of her Slayer healing, she looked a better then Giles or Willow but still had a few bumps.

They all appeared rather down for people who just win a major fight. Then again, he supposed that everything that happened last night really shook them up.

"Man, what's with you guys?" Xander questioned as he made his way to them. "Looks like someone just took a shit on your puppy or something."

The shock on all their faces was just priceless. With the way their mouths were flapping open and closed, they looked like a bunch of fish out of the water.

'Guess it is true what Uncle Rory said,' Xander thought to himself. 'It is the small things that make life worth it.'

They sat there staring at him for a few more seconds until Buffy got up and narrowed her eyes. She had the same look in her eye that she got before she was about to kill something. Once again, Buffy was acting without thinking.

"We need to talk," she said through her teeth as she latched onto Xander's forearm, "now."

Xander raised an eyebrow and glanced at her small, yet powerful hand, and then back up at her. He could tell that she was trying to force him to do what she wanted. Besides the 'resolve face' she wore, Buffy was also adding pressure to his forearm. Normally, Xander would have acted as though it hurt, as he usually did when he got hit, but today was different.

Xander calmly grabbed Buffy by the hand and pulled it off his wrist with little effort. Buffy was stupefied to say the least. She was stronger then any vampire or demon out there, yet Xander shook her grip off like it was nothing.

"Now, Buffy, you should really learn to chill out," Xander stated. "I mean with your strength you could have easily broken my wrist. Well, 'could have' being the key phrase here."

"You're not human are you?" Buffy asked in a scared, hushed tone. It was the same tone she had when she first found out Angel wasn't human.

"You know," Xander said as he lost his smile and looked her straight in the eye, "I'm not even sure myself anymore. You wanna know more? Tonight, library, be there or be square."

Xander's smile returned as he left the Scoobies wondering what he had become. Part of him didn't really care while another did. Basically, he was like Dante, half-demon. Yet there weren't any demons around even close to what he was.

"Well, if it isn't the Zeppo."

Xander's train of thought derailed, crashed, and burned as he turned to his left and saw none other then Cordelia Chase, in all her stunning (and bitchy) glory. Normally, Xander would have returned with his own insult, he smiled instead.

"What?" she asked confused. The grin on Xander's face was one she had never seen. Cordy prided herself on knowing the little things about people. It's what set her apart from the rest of the sheep. But now, she was totally in the dark as Xander kept on smiling at her.

"What?"

Xander chuckled, looking her over slowly.

"You know, Cordy, sometimes what's right in front of you isn't always the truth. You see me as the Zeppo of the Scoobies. Well, guess what."

"What? Enlighten me," she replied.

He simply smiled, leaned in, and met her eyes before replying. "Simple, Cordy. You can't see me!"

With that Xander turned and walked away, leaving a confused and fuming Cordelia Chase staring at him.

"What? What do you mean by that?"

She never got an answer as Xander walked away, totally ignoring her.

As Xander stepped out into the student parking lot, he spotted Faith sitting on the hood of his muscle car, her legs crossed. He stood there watching her with a smile on his face, looking her over slowly. He'd never noticed the brunette Slayer had such long legs.

"Comfy, Faith?" Xander asked as he walked up.

"Not as much as I want to be," Faith replied as she hopped off the hood.

Xander unlocked the door for her and held it open like a true gentleman. This had Faith looking at him confused, but with a smirk.

"So, where to, Stud?"

"Well, I was thinking we could get some real food first," he said as he revved the powerful engine. "Interested?"

The look he was given was all the 'yes' he needed.

xxxxxx  
Few minutes later  
xxxxxx

The smell of GOOD food hit Faith's nose as soon as she stepped out of the car.

The diner, simply named "Jack's", parking lot was packed with bikes, cars, and trucks. People were going in or out of the place with smiles, either from the food or the promise of good food to come. The place felt safe, like an oasis in the desert. Faith glanced over at Xander who simply winked at her, leading her to the door.

As Xander opened the door, the safe feeling intensified. She noticed, as she looked around, the pleasant atmosphere and light conversation around the diner. It appeared much bigger from the inside then the outside. Then again, as she looked at Xander, things in Sunnydale weren't always what they seemed.

"Hey, kid," a gruff voice called out.

Faith almost went Slayer when she saw to whom the voice belonged. Out of the kitchen came a large man, easily seven feet tall, with greying black hair set in a tight ponytail. She could tell that this guy knew how to handle himself very well but the warm smile on his bearded face made her feel like she was with a favorite uncle.

The man easily towered over Xander and grabbed him in a large bear hug, picking him easily off the ground. Faith knew that he could break out of the hold with ease yet Xander just started to laugh with the older man.

"Good to see you too, Jack," Xander gasped out, his eyes wide with glee.

The older man put Xander down and looked him over like a long lost relative. "Where the hell you been, boy? We've been worried sick."

Before anything else could be said, a small plump woman ran up to Xander and pulled him into her own bear hug. It was nowhere near as strong looking as Jack's but it held the same warmth. As the woman pulled away, Faith got a better glimpse of her. She was about Jack's age with lines on her face that showed a long, tough life.

"Hey, Cathy," Xander replied as he hugged the plump woman back.

She smiled up at Xander before slapping him upside the head.

"Boy, where the HELL have you been? Jack and I were worried sick about you," Cathy fussed while still smiling. Faith imagined the woman was acting exactly like an aunt would to her favorite nephew.

"I know, I know," Xander said as he rubbed his head. "Jack said the same thing just before you hit me. Be the way, OWW!"

"Oh, you big baby, come on, tell us where you've been," Jack said as he put Xander into a playful headlock. "Saving damsels in distress I bet."

Faith wished she had a camera because the blush on Xander's cheeks was priceless. The nudging and playful banter Jack and Cathy were giving Xander made her wonder if her mom would have been like that had things been different.

Xander looked over at Faith and winked as he got out from the headlock.

"Guys, this is a very good friend of mine, Faith. Faith, this is Jack and Cathy, owners of 'Jack's Place', Home of the 'Gut Buster Burger'."

Before Faith could say anything Cathy said, "Oh, so THIS is the famous Faith you've been telling us about, huh?"

"Famous huh, Stud," Faith teased as Xander once again blushed. "Why, Stud, I didn't know you cared."

"Well...the thing is...that...I'm not going to get out of this, huh?"

All three of them shook their heads as one, which was pretty eerie. He blinked once and simply went to his usual table at the corner. A smiling Faith soon joined him with Jack and Cathy close behind.

"Ok, you two, enough with teasing the poor kid," Jack said as he put an arm around Cathy. "Can't you see he's red enough?"

"So," Faith started as she sat down in front of Xander with her trademark smirk, "what's Stud over here said about me?"

"Trust me, honey, it was all good."

Faith automatically liked the older woman. For a moment, she wished that she were her mother. The way she hugged then slapped Xander was something that Faith herself might do. She stole a quick peek at Xander, who looked like he was trying to shrink into his seat. Now she REALLY liked these people.

"Hey, Jack, thought you said that it was enough with the teasing," Xander said eyeing the older man.

"Since when do women listen to us guys?"

"I hate when you have a point."

Several hours and burgers later

"I can't believe I ate the whole thing," Faith muttered as she patted her VERY full stomach.

The term 'Gut Buster Burger" was NOT an underestimation. The beef patty itself was bigger then a normal one, add to that the tons of fried onions, tomato, and thick buns, and Faith was more then full. She was officially stuffed.

"I can't believe you thought you could out eat me."

Faith would have cursed Xander out if it wasn't for the fact that she was seeing double. She wondered how he could eat three servings of those burgers. She'd stopped at one and a half.

"How was it, kids?" Cathy asked.

"Awesome as always, Cathy," Xander said with a thumbs up. "Although Faith over here might have bitten off more then she could chew."

Cathy glanced over at the young Slayer and smiled. The girl reminded her so much of herself at that age. She was a hard ass, tough chick that probably had a soft chewy center. The chemistry the girl and Xander had was obvious to her.

"...And now, Cathy, gimme a slice of that chocolate cake," Xander leered evilly as he rubbed his hands together.

"Chocolate cake?" Faith asked as her eyes went wide, like a lion catching the scent of its prey. "Did someone say chocolate cake?"

"Sure did, honey," Cathy said with a smile. "Want a slice too?"

Now Cathy really liked this girl. They both shared the same weakness for chocolate cake. By now, the diner was mostly empty. With the lunch hour rush over, there was only her, Jack, Xander, Faith, and a few other truckers that usually stopped here on their way to or from a job.

A few moments later Faith was happily inhaling her slice of cake, with Xander eating his own slice at a much slower pace. Xander had never seen Faith look more innocent than she did now. He was pretty sure she was humming some tune as she finished off her cake, and set her sights on Xander's.

He looked down at his half-eaten slice of cake.

He looked back at Faith, who was now using the only attack that could ever defeat him, an attack that only one other girl had ever used on him, 'The Puppy Dog Eyes' attack.

He tried as best he could to resist, using ever ounce of his willpower. But, as his favorite TV show once said, 'Resistance is futile.'

With a final sigh, Xander simply pushed his plate to Faith who almost squealed in delight. He, the mighty Devil Hunter, had been beaten with a simple, yet evil look. Xander could feel Jack and Cathy trying not to laugh. Deep down, it was a different story with Xander.

He had seen Faith's tough girl act as nothing more then that, an act. He had a feeling he was seeing the REAL Faith now, a normal everyday girl who just happened to be one of the most powerful women in the world.

"So, how did you meet Jack and Cathy, Stud?" Faith asked, bringing Xander out of his thoughts.

He smiled at her, knowing she would ask that sooner or later. "Well, it happened when Buffy decided to leave," Xander started as he sat back. "I was cleaning up one or two vampires that got away on a normal patrol. They decided to cut through here and try to hold me off by taking a few hostages. What they didn't count on was for Jack over here to be a former Marine with over twenty years of combat training or for Cathy to be a former biker with a few dirty tricks up her sleeve."

Faith blinked hard as she looked over at Cathy and Jack who were now sharing a simple quiet moment for themselves. The couple at the counter didn't look like they could fight off some vamps. Then again, she used to say the same thing about Xander.

"When I got inside, Jack was beating the crap out of one vampire while another was trying to survive Cathy and her frying pan. I was pretty surprised when I saw the vamps look at me like I was their savior or something."

Faith let out a small little chuckle at that idea, the hunter being the only hope for the hunted. In only a few moments, Faith finished off the slice of cake and licked the fork clean. She looked up to see Xander smiling at her. For a second she forgot last night and simply saw him as a normal guy. Well, normal for Xander.

"Hey, Stud," she said taking a sip of her soda, "why do you fight?"

Xander lost his smile as he closed his eyes. "Tonight, you and the rest of the gang will find out. You will all know everything, though you might not like it."

Faith blinked at Xander's words. It wasn't what he said but how he said it, with a calmness and seriousness that made her wonder how deep Xander was.

After paying the bill at Jack's (despite Jack not wanting the money), Xander and Faith said their good-byes and promised to come back, especially Faith. There were few places in the small town that made good food, much less LOTS of good food.

"Hey Stud, think we can swing by my pad? I wanna pick up the swords you gave me."

"Umm...sure, one question though. Where DO you live?" Xander asked as he waited for the light to change.

"You...you don't know?" Faith asked shocked with her eyes wide.

"No," Xander said looking at her with a raised eyebrow, "I don't. Remember you never told us were you lived."

Faith looked pissed, VERY pissed. "That...THAT BITCH!"

Pulling the muscle car over to the side of the road, Xander looked at Faith and asked, "Ok, what bitch? What's going on?"

"Buffy," Faith answered after a few calming breaths. "She knows where I live and never told anyone."

"Yeah, that's like her but once again, where DO you live?"

"The Motor Lodge," Faith said through her teeth.

Oh yeah...she was pissed.

"That place is still around? Sheesh, why are you saying there?"

"Well excuse me," Faith said looking at him. "It's the only thing I can afford."

He brought up his hands in the classic surrender pose. If there was one thing Xander didn't want to happen, it was having a girl mad at him. He may have been unstoppable but he wasn't stupid a little slow, sure, but never stupid.

"Easy there, Faith. I didn't mean anything by it. Just that I used to say there too awhile back."

"Really?" Faith asked as Xander started the car up again and went in the direction of the Sunnydale Motor Lodge.

"Yeah," Xander replied. "It was during the summer but then I found out that some demons and vamps actually use their brains. Seems some of them keep tons of cash, jewels, and other little goodies."

"And you, being the nice guy you are, took it right?"

"Well, I just couldn't leave it there, now could I?" Xander winked at her as he pulled into the Lodge.

Chuckling, Faith went to her room, grabbed the twin short swords, and got out of there before the manager could catch her. The old man was looking for reasons to get more payment out of her.

...And not just money.

"Hey, Faith," Xander said as Faith got into the car, "can I ask you something?"

"Thongs."

Xander quirked his eyebrow at her. Moments like these he wondered if she was reading his mind.

"Ok, another question," Xander said with a shy look on his face. "I was wondering if you might wanna move in with me."

"Say what?"

"I'm serious here. I have plenty of room at my place. Not to mention you'll have every resource I have at your fingertips, even more shiny weapons too."

Faith was blind-sided by what had just happened. Xander, a guy she knew little about, just asked her to move in with him. At first, she thought what she always did, that he was trying to get into her pants, though she wouldn't have minded that. Then she realized who was asking her. The hand on her shoulder brought her out of her train of thought.

"Think about it ok?"

She nodded numbly, still in shock.

"So, Stud, if you want me to move in with ya, and be your partner, how about a little test then?"

The feeling all men had when women wanted something hit him like a ton of bricks. He could feel his brain screaming at him to run away and head for high ground. He should have listened.

"Umm, sure. What's the test?" Xander asked.

With her patented 'Faith smile,' she held out her hands and said the words he dreaded to hear.

"Can I drive?"

"Say what?"

"I asked if I can drive. Listen, Stud, if we work together you're going to have to not only trust me but also let me drive your ride. So, what do you say?"

"You know," Xander said as he fished for his keys, "against my better judgment, I'm going to let you drive. God knows why though."

"Come on Stud, it won't be that bad," she replied as she made her way over to the driver's side of the Mustang while Xander went around to the passenger side.

As they got in Xander said a quick prayer to whatever God or Gods were listening to him.

"You know how to drive stick?" Xander asked.

"Oh yeah, I love grabbing onto things," Faith replied with a sultry smirk.

"See, if I was any other person I would make a crack about you holding onto hard things but I'm above all that now."

"...No, you're not."

"Ok, I'm not. It's just that you are behind the wheel of my car and I'm in said car."

"Oh, come on," Faith said as she revved the engine, "what's the worse that could happen?"

Before Xander could respond, Faith put the muscle car into gear and drove off like a bat out of hell. If you listened close, you could almost hear Xander mumble out a girlish 'mommy' as Faith took a tight corner.

xxxxxx  
Xander's warehouse apartment, a few minutes later  
xxxxxx

Faith pulled into the warehouse entrance and turned the engine off. She had to admit, this car was the kind of ride she could get used to.

"Alright, Stud, we're here," Faith said as she looked over at him, only to find him sitting there with his eyes and mouth wide. He looked like he had seen the most horrific thing in his life.

"Um, Xander?" She slowly touched his hand, jumping when Xander looked at her and started to scream.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

He turned his head to look at the front window and screamed again.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Finally, he looked out the window and once again, you guessed it, screamed.

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Ya done yet?" Faith asked dryly as Xander once again looked back to normal.

"Yeah, I'm good."

"You know," Faith said as she exited the Mustang, "you scream like a girl."

Xander simply rolled his eyes as they climbed the stairs of his pad. Outside the sky was getting darker and darker by the minute. The only light was the little sunlight that dusk brought. To anyone else it would have been a beautiful sight.

To Xander and Faith, it meant that it was time to go to work.

"So, Stud," Faith said as she planted herself on the sofa, "what do you have planned for tonight?"

As Xander tossed his keys on the table he smiled at Faith and replied, "Well, I was planning on visiting 'Pinky and the Brain' to help take over the world, but I thought I should 'talk' to the others."

"You're still planning on going?"

"Oh yeah," he said as he started to walk to his bedroom. "Besides I would LOVE to see the look on their faces when I tell them what I wanna say."

"What are you going to say," Faith asked as Xander closed his door.

"Now why would I ruin the surprise?"

Faith mumbled something about him being a smart ass. She decided to take a little walk around the place as Xander changed. Last time she was there, Faith didn't get the chance to look around.

The kitchen area looked like something out of a magazine with its stainless steel refrigerator and saucepans, pots, and frying pans sitting on the kitchen counter. At the counter was a pair of stools on both sides.

As she made her way back to the living room, she noticed the way things were arranged. The sofa and easy chair both faced a large flat screen TV with a VCR/DVD player right under it. At either side of the large TV were shelves with both tape and DVD movies. She was about to look downstairs when she noticed that Xander hadn't completely closed the door. Feeling a little naughty, she went over to the door and peeked in. She had heard of the famous 'Speedo' incident but never really believed them, until now.

From what she could see, Xander had his back to her with most of his gear on. The only thing he wasn't wearing was his shirt. Faith's mouth went dry as she looked over Xander's muscular back. It wasn't like a body builders but he did have a well-toned body, like that of a fighter. She then noticed a semi large tattoo on his right shoulder.

'So,' she thought to herself, 'Stud is a little wild himself.'

It was a tribal tattoo that looked like a pair of 'N's, only backwards, overlapping each other. It wasn't what she would expect from Xander, but then again, Xander did a lot of things she never would have expected. As Xander was about to turn to get his shirt, Faith let out a small little 'eep' and quickly moved away from the door.

...But only after she caught a quick look at his chest and abs.

She jumped back into the chair as she heard the door open. Faith schooled her features, so she looked as she did before. That's when she noticed a screen door a few feet away from where Xander's door was. She never noticed it before and was about to check it out but Xander walked out with a small smile on his face and with his coat over his shoulder.

"Liked what you saw, Faith?"

"Oh yeah. Wait...you saw me looking?"

"Yeah, pretty much. Why do you think I flexed a little?"

To see Faith, the all mighty badass Slayer blush was just too much.

"So," Faith said trying to get past the blush, "you think B's going to try something?"

"I'm pretty sure she will, especially her with her personal bitch, Dead Boy, there," replied Xander.

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you wanted to fight them."

Xander brought up his guns and studied them for a moment before looking over his shoulder.

"Part of me wants to. To teach them a lesson. Another part of me thinks it's not worth the trouble. No matter what I say or do, they think that just 'cause they have power, they can decide what they want."

Xander holstered and turned around slowly, looking Faith dead in the eyes.

"What they don't realize is that power comes with responsibility."

"Quoting Spiderman, Stud?"

"It doesn't make it any less true, Faith," he replied with a smile.

As he turned back to get his sword still hanging on the wall, Faith let out a little shiver she didn't know she had. The look in Xander's eyes scared her. It wasn't the power that was behind them, it was the look of pure determination in them.

Faith pushed the shiver away and looked on as Xander finished gearing up. She did have to admit, Xander did look kinda cool with the long coat on, though she would never admit it.

"Ready to go, Faith?"

She blinked a few times, and smirked up at him. "Yeah I'm ready, just day dreaming a little."

"Oh really? Of what?"

"Trying to take over the world. You know the usual."

"Smartass."

"Yeah. It's also very cute too," Faith replied as she walked away...with an extra sway in her hips.

Xander briefly looked up to the heavens for any sign of why he was being tormented like this. And like every other time, he received no answer. With a sigh, he followed the Dark Slayer to his car.

"So, Stud, letting me drive again?"

Xander stopped a moment and looked at her.

"You're...you're kidding me right? The last time I let you drive, I saw my life flash before my eyes. And you know what I realized?"

"What?"

As Xander and Faith got into the car he replied, "Well that a.) You're insane behind the wheel and b.) I need a life."

Faith let out an unwomanly grunt of laughter as Xander pulled out of the warehouse and into the night.

Xander maneuvered the Mustang into the student parking lot and turned it off. The ride was a lot faster at night, mostly due to the little or no traffic in the area. Faith was about to get out when she noticed Xander not moving.

"What's wrong, Stud?" she asked, looking around.

"Just wondering what Buffy has planned."

"You're sure she's going to try something now?"

"Yeah," he replied as he stepped out of the car, closely followed by Faith, "but it's nothing I can handle. Buffy's plans are on the same page as the ones the Coyote comes up with to catch the Road Runner."

Faith had to laugh at that little joke. From what she had seen the past few months in Sunnydale, Buffy did have a problem with planning. To put it simply, she didn't.

Xander unlocked the trunk, removed an old battered brown bag, and closed it quickly. Before Faith could ask anything, Xander started to make his way to where the teachers packed.

"Faith, go on in. I'll take the back way in."

"Wait a minute, the back way in? There's a back way in?"

"Yeah," Xander said as he started to walk backwards, facing her. "How do you think Captain Forehead gets in and out all the time?"

With a wink, Xander melted into the shadows, leaving Faith standing there, totally confused.

"Sometimes he can be such a geek. A cute geek, but still a geek."

She went into the school, adjusting the harnesses that held the twin short swords Xander had given her. Faith was slightly nervous, wondering what exactly Xander had up his sleeves. She knew one thing though; whatever it was, it was going to be cool.

As she walked through the library doors, Faith indeed saw that Buffy and the others had something planned. Well, as planned out as they could.

Buffy stood in the middle of the library holding a broad sword a few sizes too large for her. To her left was Giles and Willow with some kind of spell scroll and some strange ingredients in front of them, while Oz held a baseball bat, standing directly behind them. Faith couldn't see him, but Angel was probably nearby, hiding in the shadows.

Not much of a battle plan.

"What's going on?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Buffy said, rolling her eyes. "Xander's possessed and we're getting ready to save him."

"Um, if he was possessed then why did he save us last night?"

"It was all part of a plan," Buffy snapped, "to let our guard down!"

Faith could hear the doubt in Buffy's voice. Even B wasn't sure of her own plan. From what she could see though, the others were more then willing to follow her. It was like the blind leading the blind.

Suddenly, before anyone could say or do anything, a figure dressed in all black flew threw the air from the bookcase, bounced off the large oak table, and rolled onto the floor. Much to everybody's surprise, it was Angel, a bruised and slightly beaten up Angel, that is.

"You know, I keep telling him," Xander's voice said, "to use the fucking front door but does anyone listen to me?"

Xander calmly stepped out of from behind the book stacks with a small smile on his face. He looked almost exactly like he had the previous night. This time he wore a dark red shirt with the Japanese symbol for 'Devil' written across it, a pair of black military pants, black books, fingerless leather gloves, and his black trench coat. Under the coat were his twin guns, Ebony and Ivory. Strapped to his back was the Dhylec Sword, its handle coming over his right shoulder.

"Let me guess," Xander said as he ran a hand through his hair. "You think I'm possessed and, with me being all weak, decide to 'save' me. Am I right?"

Buffy, not waiting another moment, jumped into action headfirst. While it was true Buffy was the oldest living Slayer in recent history, it was only because of her friends she was still alive. Especially because of one young man. The very same one she was about to attack.

Xander saw the attack coming a mile away. He not only drew on the combat knowledge of Dante but his own as well. Month after month of watching Angel and Buffy spar along with Giles instructing Buffy and Faith had given Xander an understanding of basic hand-to-hand combat. After that, it was fighting against demons and vampires a hell of a lot stronger then him. The real treat came when he had become Dante on that fateful Halloween night. Although it had only been for a few hours, Xander was, and still IS Dante.

Slayer essence took over as Buffy lunged with her sword, ready to stab Xander through the shoulder. With reflexes that made a Slayer look slow, Xander grabbed the blade with his gloved hand and kicked out, hitting Buffy in the stomach. The blow was harder then anything she had ever felt before. Like Angel, she landed hard on the ground with a heavy thud.

Buffy could feel the intense pain in her gut. The kick had sent her halfway across the library. Before she could get back up to fight, Xander appeared in front of her, still holding the sword by the blade. With a flick of the wrist, he tossed the blade away, only to have it land IN Angel. The souled vampire had tried to blindside him but received a sword through his chest for his trouble. This only served to enrage Buffy more.

Xander knew that nothing he could say now would calm Buffy down. Then again, he knew that when Buffy got mad, her moves got VERY sloppy. Xander was able to block and dodge blow after blow. Buffy had power and speed but no focus. Her next punch he caught, caught in a vise like grip that grew tighter with every second.

"Buffy, I think you'd better calm down," Xander said as he suddenly twisted hard, "NOW!"

Between the twist and the following pivot, he sent Buffy on her ass. Xander backed up a few steps and crossed his arms over his chest, hoping the pose would calm her down. Unfortunately, from the look on her face, things were going to get tougher.

"Giles, call her off or I'll put her down, and this time I'll do it hard!"

"And why would I do that?" Giles asked, seemingly unworried. Deep down though, he was. Buffy was obviously going all out, yet Xander looked as if he wasn't even trying to fight. That single fact scared the Watcher. Slayers were supposed to be the ultimate weapon against demons and vampires. If Xander could outmatch Buffy and Angel, things were now totally changed. He spared a brief glance at Faith, the raven haired Slayer. Much to his astonishment, she was leaning against the wall with her hands inside the pockets of her tight jeans, a grin on her face. It was clear she wasn't going to help. Giles looked back at the spell they had ready. Between him and Willow, they could have held Xander but after realizing the truth, the spell would only piss him off.

"Buffy," Giles said as he rolled up the scroll, "stop it. Let's hear what he has to say."

"But Giles," Willow screamed, "we have to help him! Xander would NEVER do this."

"Willow, that's enough. If he wanted to, he could have killed us all by now!"

Buffy, reluctantly backed down, as did Angel. Willow looked like she wanted to cast the spell anyway but it wasn't something she could do alone. Buffy got up with a little help from Angel who now removed the sword from his chest. Giles, Willow, and Oz came up behind them. Faith simply walked over to the table and sat down, putting her feet up on the hard surface. The show was about to start.

"So," Buffy spat out," what are you?"

"Well, I'm a Leo, Buff," Xander replied with a wink and smirk.

"You know what she means," Dead Boy snapped.

"Sheesh, you guys really need to chill out. As for what I am, I'm what I've always been, Xander, no more, no less. I might have gotten powers but that doesn't change who and what I am," Xander said with an even tone.

"Then why didn't you tell us you had powers? We could have used them," Buffy said.

Xander let out a small chuckle as he looked at her. "I notice that you said that you could have used THEM, not me. Anyway, I did try to tell you, lots of times but none of you would listen."

"Xander," Giles stated as he polished his glasses, "I would have remembered you trying to tell me about your powers."

"Yeah, Giles, you would. In fact, when I did try to tell you, you just blew me off. After that, I gave up on telling you guys and kept it a secret. I hoped they would go away..." Xander sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose and continued, "Not just the powers but the dreams and memories. I couldn't get a good night's sleep from all the nightmares I kept having."

Xander's voice was full of pain and anger. So much so, that even Buffy, through her own anger, could hear it.

"Then I started to train on my own. Train so I could use these powers and skills I now had. You see I soon realized that Dante and I weren't so much different. We both lost people we loved and cared for while others sat back and did nothing."

"But Xander," Willow pleaded as Oz touched her shoulder, "Dante's made up. He's not real."

"Oh, your wrong, Wills. Dante was real, even though it was only for a few hours that one night. But that one night was all that was needed. You see when the spell was first cast, it would only physically and mentally change the person into who and what they were. In my case, though, it also changed me genetically as well as spiritually.

My soul became Dante that night. That's why I still have his powers. Not only that, but like Dante, my powers kept growing. As I trained, I realized that anything Dante could do I could do too. I earned everything I got while training."

Xander crossed his arms again and narrowed his eyes at them all. "Then when Angelus reared his ugly head, I realized something else. I realized that, while all of you had power, none of you did anything to stop the killing. And it wasn't for lack of chances either!"

"Well, you didn't do anything either!" Buffy yelled at him.

Instead of getting angry Xander looked right into her eyes, peering right into her soul.

"What makes you think I didn't? What, you guys thought that Dead Boy over there wouldn't have tried to kill your families to get to you?"

Buffy was about to protest but the hand on her shoulder stopped her. The look on Angel's face told her the truth.

"Once a coward, always a coward, huh, Dead Boy?"

Angel flinched at the statement, not from the tone in which Xander said it. Deep down, it was true.

Xander quirked an eyebrow at the confused looks on everyone's faces. Suddenly, the most unexpected thing happened, Xander, began to laugh.

"Oh God," Xander said between laughs, "you never told them did you? Oh, this is just TOO much."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Buffy asked, baffled. In the darkest recesses of her mind, she knew the truth but was too afraid to face it.

"Back when the Master killed you, I wasn't the one that dragged Xander with me. Xander was the one that forced me to go," Angel stated. The look on Buffy's face was one that he had nightmares about, the look of total betrayal.

"But wait everyone," Xander cut in before Buffy could react. "There's more to my little story. You see, when Buffy over here decided to skip out on her family and friends I took over. Any demon or vampire that got away during patrol, I tracked down later and killed.

When you left Buffy, you forced me to make a choice. I could choose to fight with limits or I could fight with EVERY weapon I had. That's right, I chose the latter. I chose to honor an old promise I made when you first came here."

Xander uncrossed his arms and pulled out an old faded picture from the inside pocket of his coat. The picture had seen better days but the images there were still as clear as day. In it was a much younger Xander and Willow with another young boy of the same age.

"His name was Jesse and he was my brother in every way but blood. The night he and I came to help you he was kidnapped and turned into one of those...THINGS," he spat out like it was dirt.

"The next night I saw him, no, I saw IT. IT had his face. IT had his voice. IT even laughed and joked like him. But it wasn't him. I could see it in his eyes. The Jesse I knew had life in his eyes. The thing I saw wearing his face has NOTHING in them."

Everyone was scared now, even Faith. The air around him shimmered a little as dark red energy started to slowly leak out of him, giving him a demonic look. The anger and hate in his voice and words made them all wonder if they had ever TRULY known Xander.

He moved his hand behind him, drew a blunt, old looking stake, and closed his eyes. His voice got soft and pain filled. "So, with this very stake I stabbed my former best friend, my BROTHER, in the heart. When I looked into his eyes, I didn't see betrayal or hate. I saw him thanking me. He...thanked...me.."

Xander opened his eyelids. The chocolate brown eyes glistened with unshed tears, tears of anger, hate, and pain.

"That moment, as he slowly turned to dust, I promised myself that I would make them pay…ALL OF THEM! I would make them remember the faces and names of all the people they killed. I would make them beg for their forgiveness before I ended it."

By now, the tears were falling down his face but the look in his eyes changed. Buffy knew that look. He had used that look when he had promised to kill her if anything ever happened to Willow. It was a look that scared her more then any demon, vampire, or monster ever could.

"Xander," Buffy slowly said, "we...we didn't know."

"No, Buffy," Xander stated as he wiped the tears from his cheeks, "it's not that you didn't know. It's that you didn't care. None of you do. You all do this, the demon and vampire hunting, because you're forced to, either by duty or to pay for past sins or because of some prophecy in some book. Buffy keeps bitching about not having a choice in becoming a Slayer. Well, guess what?! You, you all just decided that since I had no powers I was useless in a fight. Hell, I wasn't even good enough to do research.

NONE of you has the right to choose for me. I chose this path that night over the ashes of someone who deserved to live more then anyone. But, now he is dead. All because Buffy was too busy making puppy dog eyes at Dead Boy. All because Dead Boy over here wanted to be mysterious instead of doing what's right! All because I wasn't good enough to save him."

Xander looked right at Buffy and Angel with an expression that could make the Devil himself piss his pants.

"I once wanted to be like you. Then I saw how Buffy wouldn't do her fucking job and kill Angelus. Now their blood is on YOUR hands. See, Buffy, because of you and your stupid mistakes I know what's important now. I know what I need to do."

Buffy and Willow looked like they were about to cry. Giles and Angel looked totally shocked. Oz...looked like himself save for the raised eyebrow. For Oz, the eyebrow was similar to a heart attack.

Faith was finally starting to get Xander. He was a boy scout, a boy scout with a VERY big gun. He had made a choice to fight before he had powers, relying only on his guts. Now, he not only had guts, he had the power to use them.

Suddenly a light clapping broke the tension in the room. Everyone turned to see a man dressed like a bad '60's pimp walking down the stairs with a smile on his face. Xander already knew this guy was NOT who or what he seemed to be.

"Not bad, kid," the man said in with a slight Brooklyn accent, "not bad at all. I knew there was something about ya I liked."

"Whistler," Buffy snapped as anger replaced guilt, "what the hell do you want?"

"Back off, Slayer. I'm not here for you. I'm here for him," Whistler replied, pointing to Xander. "I'm here on official orders by The Powers That Be."

Xander's eyebrow lifted a little. Things were getting a little more interesting.

"So...who and what are these Powers That Be and what do they want with little old me?"

"Well, kid," the balance demon started, "The Powers That Be are the higher ups. They pick and choose who the champions are. As for what they want, that's simple. They want to offer you the mantel of Champion."

Everybody's eyes went wide. On any other night, some of them might have even fainted. All at once, they looked at Xander with mixed feelings of jealousy, awe, and fear. Xander had his head down, looking right at the floor, his bangs partially covering his eyes. It looked like he was a little overwhelmed at the offer until once again, the oddest of thing happened.

Xander...started laughing.

It started out as a small chuckle, shaking his shoulders. Then it slowly turned into a fit of full out laughter. Xander was laughing so hard tears started to stream out of his eyes as if he had seen or heard the funniest thing in the world. He even snorted a little.

The general thought was that Xander had gone crazy. Well, crazier for those who really knew him.

"Oh, man," Xander said as he wiped the tears from his face, still chuckling, "you…OFFERING me the title of Champion. Your bosses HAVE to be smoking the good shit if they said that."

The confusion level in the room just went up another notch.

"Now, there are SO many ways I can say this but I guess the old fashion way is the best. No."

"No," Whistler asked, confused. He remembered men and women jumping for joy when offered the mantel of Champion. This had NEVER happened before.

"Yeah, you know, 'no.' As in 'Hell No,' and my personal favorite, 'Fuck no.'"

"Xander," Angel said, the shock in his voice evident to even a deaf man, "I think you should really think this through."

"And I think," Xander said in an even tone, "you should shut up, Dead Boy."

Xander turned his attention back at the shocked agent for the Powers That Be and looked him dead in the eyes.

"Now I know what you're thinking. How could I, a mere mortal, defy the great and all-powerful Powers That Be? Am I right?" Xander asked as his eyes started to narrow some. "Well, I'll tell you. You see, as I've been fighting in this war, I realized so many things. Like how the so called 'Powers' sit back and watch us fight THEIR war. They only see us as pawns to be used as THEY see fit. They sacrifice us like we were NOTHING."

"I don't think you want the Powers as enemies, kid."

"No, the Powers don't want ME as an enemy. But hey, what do I know?" Xander chuckled as he turned around and faced the others as he spread his arms. "Let's face it. The other side is at least honest enough to tell you that you are nothing but a pawn. I mean, all they want to do is rule the world...anyone who stands against them will die.

Now the Powers, they are even sneakier. They claim to be good guys but they want to rule this world too. Anyone who stands against them dies. Only they say that it's 'for the greater good.' They're just as bad as the bad guys."

Xander lowered his head and closed his eyes.

"No...that makes them worse."

Slowly he drew his coat open.

"That...that makes your bosses, the Powers That Be, Devils."

In one fluid, lightning fast movement, Xander drew his guns, turned back to face Whistler, and aimed Ebony and Ivory at the agent for the Powers.

"And in the end, Devil's never cry!"

Before anyone could say anything, Xander fired off a few shots at Whistler. A few bullets missed but the rest hit him in the shoulder and chest, sending him flying into the wall. In a flash, Xander was on top of the Balance Demon, his booted foot on its chest, guns stilled aimed at it.

"Now, I'm letting you live for one reason only and that's to give your bosses a message for me. You are going to crawl back to them and tell them that, not only do I say no, if they fuck with me, or anyone I care for, I will make them BEG me to kill them. GOT IT?!"

The demon, still holding his wounds, crawled back into the shadows. In his VERY long life as an agent for the Powers, Whistler had never seen anyone reject being a Champion. Sure, a few had bitched and moaned at first, but they all came around later. This boy was different.

When the Powers had learned of him, they were scared. It was if the All Mighty just decided to start over. And, if Whistler guessed right, the other side was scared shitless too.

As Xander saw Whistler crawl away, he twirled Ebony and Ivory around and put them away again. As he made down the stairs he could see the shocked faces of his so-called friends, save for Faith. She was a friend.

"Xander," Angel said, his face paler then usual, "do you have any idea what you just did?"

"I just shot at the demon working for the Powers and told them to go suck it," Xander replied with a smile.

"But...but why?"

"Maybe YOU like being THEIR bitch, Dead Boy, but I have other plans." He looked each one of them in the eye, save for Faith, and kept on talking with a claim voice. "Now, you know everything, so here's a little something extra. A long time ago, you guys quit on me, so it's time to return the favor. From now on, I go at it alone, like I always have. Only this time it's official. Don't talk or call me unless the world is coming to an end."

Xander pushed his way past them as he headed to the door.

"Xander, wait," Willow said, a small sob in her voice. "Please, we're sorry. We were only doing it to keep you safe."

"Tell me, Willow, when Oz is in his full wolf form, do you let him out? No, because he's too dangerous. The rest of the time, he is a normal human and yet you let HIM fight. You guys tried to choose for me and now this is MY choice."

He slowly looked over his shoulder and stared right at Faith. The raven-haired beauty met his gaze as he said, "Faith, my offer still stands. With me I promise that you will NEVER be alone."

"Do...do you mean it?" she replied. Ever since her Watcher had died, she'd never gotten close to anyone. She had tried when she got here to Sunnydale but was labeled a slut or a wannabe by the others, everyone except for Xander.

"My hand in yours," Xander started as he offered her his hand, "your hand in mine."

Faith looked between them. The others had barely made her feel welcomed. They regarded her as nothing more then a replacement for Queen B. Then she looked at Xander, who simply offered her his friendship, his trust, and a clean, safe place to rest. Not to mention every weapon she could think of as back up.

She made her decision.

"Let's go, Stud, but I wanna drive again."

"Hell no, woman."

"I thought we were going to be partners. Partners trust each other."

"Oh, I do trust you…to be totally insane."

They shared a quick chuckle as Faith made her way over to Xander. She had made the right choice for herself.

"Damn it, Harris," Buffy snapped. "Get back here. We're not done yet!"

"One more thing, Slayer," Xander said, not even bothering to look over his shoulder. "It's not Harris anymore. The name's Sparda, Xander Sparda."

With that, Xander Sparda, formally Xander Harris, walked out on them with Faith. The heart of the group had been broken and rebuilt, made stronger. So strong that it didn't need them anymore.

They had pushed him out and he had pushed back.

Xander and Faith quietly got into the Mustang and sat there. Faith looked over at Xander who had his head tilted back with his eyes closed. She could almost see the little tear running down his cheek. Then, Faith did something she had never done before in her young life. She reached over and pulled Xander into a hug to which he soon replied.

"Thanks."

Neither knew who said it, nor did they really care. They slowly and reluctantly drew apart with smiles and light blushes on their faces.

Xander started up the car and drove the car out into the street.

"Any regrets, Stud?"

"Regrets? A few, yeah. Of what I just did? Never. Come on Faith, let's paint Sunnydale green."

"Don't you mean red?"

"Yeah, well, I ran out of red," he replied with a wink and a smirk.

"It's a good thing you're cute, Stud. Drive."

xxxxxx  
The realm of The Powers That Be  
xxxxxx

Whistler had finished his report to a stunned and very scared group of Powers.

Since the beginning of the struggle, they had been among the Supreme 'Commanders' so to speak. Their Champions have been the stuff of legends. That was, until now.

"We must do something to rectify this," one hooded being said.

"Agreed but we must move carefully," replied another.

"I say we use one of our stronger Champions to eliminate this threat," a female Power said.

"Now that is the dumbest idea I have EVER heard," a voice behind them answered. "And trust me, I've heard them all."

They all turned to face a tall, young man with long blond hair, dressed in armor that looked like a cross between a samurai and a Roman solider. On his back was a pair of midnight black wings. At his side, he wore a strapped long sword with wings as the guard. His normal handsome face, made more for smiling, had a dark frown as he looked at each and every one of the Powers That Be.

"My Lord Michael," the first Power said as he along with the others went down on one knee, "you honor us with your---"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Michael interrupted him, "enough with the ass kissing. What is this I hear about YOU all planning on killing?"

"My lord, one whom we have offered the mantel of Champion has rejected us. He must be eliminated before the others get to him. This mortal could endanger everything."

The Archangel lifted an eyebrow at them and started to chuckle.

"So, let me get this right. Just because he won't fight for YOU, you see fit to get rid of him? Lord All Mighty, give me strength. Tell me, you fools, have you ever heard of something called FREE WILL? That young man made his choice so leave him be! Besides, he may not be YOUR Champion, but he is a Champion."

Michael had been there almost since the beginning and had seen it all but the looks on the faces of the so-called 'Powers That Be' were almost TOO much.

'Times like this,' he thinks to himself, 'I wish I had a camera.'

"My lord?"

Michael turned his gaze to the female Power, making her cringe from the black look before he spoke once more.

"One of his ancestors was one of mine, a Knight of The Black Sword."

If things couldn't get any weirder, they just had.

The Powers knew of the Knights. They were among the greatest of all Champions. While others were chosen to fight, The Knights chose to fight. Each generation was more powerful then the other, either a master of magic or sword. There were still a few demons and vampires that still remembered them, still feared them.

The reason they were known as the Knights of The Black Sword was due to Michael. His own sword had a black blade. When the first Knight created the order, they chose that as their symbol.

"So, boys and girls," the Archangel started, "if I hear you or any of your lackeys trying to kill him, you had better hope I get to you first because whatever I put you through will be NOTHING to what that young man will do to you. Do I make myself clear?"

They all nodded at once, the stunned expressions on their faces never leaving their faces.

"Good. Now, if you will excuse me, Raiden has a poker game going on with some of the lesser gods and I wanna get back home to Ares in his boxers."

In a bright flash, the Archangel teleported away, leaving the Powers stunned and horrified. The war had now taken an odd turn, one nobody could have seen coming.

xxxxxx  
The Docks, a warehouse  
xxxxxx

The large Morah demon looked around at his small, yet strong, group of fighters. He had handpicked each one of them, both demon and vampire, to join him. No one said no.

They came to Sunnydale with a plan to kill anyone who got in their way to attain the power of the Hellmouth. They knew no fear. They knew no pain. They knew no mercy. Just as he was about to speak the strangest thing happened.

They heard singing.

"Total slaughter, total slaughter, I won't leave a single one alive. Ladidadidi. Genocide. Ladidadivdud. An ocean of blood. Let's begin the killing time," the male voice sang out.

From the shadows, a young man came out, a smile on his face, a pair of guns in his hands, and a sword strapped to his back. Behind him came a drop dead beautiful, young woman with a pair of short swords in her hands.

"Now," Xander said, "EVERYBODY SING!"

"God, Xander," Faith said as she rolled her eyes, "you are SUCH a dork."

Chuckling, Xander Sparda and his new partner, Faith, made the group of demons and vampires cry.

xxxxxx  
TBC  
xxxxxx

A/N: Go to my profile for the link to Xander's tattoo. As for the song he sings at the end it comes from a anime called 'Trigun.'


	6. A New Path

xxxxxx

Weeks later

xxxxxx

Happiness was a strange emotion for Faith. Ever since her Watcher died, happiness was as rare as finding an original Picasso painting in the attic of a house in New York. She was truly happy now. Not only happy, but safe as well.

As she snuggled deeper into the warmness of her bed and blankets, her mind drifted off into the past few weeks since moving in with Xander...

xxxxxx

A week before

xxxxxx

When the phone rang, Xander answered it. He soon sounded pissed. Faith almost felt sorry for whoever had made the brunet mad…well, almost.

Since teaming up with Xander, Faith had started to learn a whole new world of Slaying. She still used stakes and the short swords Xander had given her, but that was only the start. As soon as she had moved into her own room, she had been presented with MORE weapons.

When Faith opened the screen door (she spotted it the last time she was at Xander's place), she found a large room, about the size of a medium studio apartment, with a bed, desk and chair, and a lamp waiting for her.

On the bed was a black box with 'Open me' written on it. As she opened it Faith uncovered a pair of Beretta p3R's resting on dark red velvet. She was a little nervous until she realized something Xander said was very true.

'Peace through superior firepower.'

"Faith," Xander half yelled through the door.

She slid the door open and poked her head out with a raised eyebrow. Xander looked pissed, barely in control of his emotions.

"What's up, Stud?"

Xander put the phone down and looked like he wanted to rip into someone. "We got a situation, Faith. Joyce and Dawn say that Buffy has been losing her powers."

"What? How?"

"Don't know, but add to that someone threatening them and that just spells trouble. Let's suit up, Faith. I feel the need to kill something."

Chuckling, Faith went into her own room to gear up. Her clothes and gear came from Xander, all made to order. Oddly enough, everything fit perfectly.

She began by putting on a pair of black cargo pants that hugged her curves perfectly. The material they were made of was tough. She figured with the pant's armored sections, they could protect her from almost anything.

Next, she slipped a red and black leather-like vest over her long sleeved, pepper-gray shirt. The vest was also armored yet still managed to show off her considerable 'assets'.

Faith grabbed her black biker boots, like the ones Xander owned just with a feminine look to them, and shoved them on. Faith smiled, remembered the first time she had worn them. She still swore she'd heard Xander say something along the lines of 'She's got legs and she knows how to use them'. After donning the boots, she picked up and pulled on a pair of fingerless biker gloves that allowed her to grab onto things easier.

After she dressed, the dark haired Slayer strapped on the customized holster that Xander had had made for her short swords. The swords crossed over her back in an 'X', each handle over a shoulder for easy reach. The guns were holstered on her shapely hips, much like old-fashioned six shooters. At the small of her back rested a few clips for her guns. Unlike Xander, who never needed to reload, Faith had plenty of clips ready.

Oddly enough, guns WERE very effective against demons and vampires. When explosive, armor piercing bullets went through a demon or vampire, they tended to stay down permanently.

Her last addition to her outfit was a long, black leather trench coat that went down to just above her ankles. Not only did it give her a killer look but the coat also protected her. Its inside was lined with Kevlar and some minor protection runes.

She had to admit, when Xander planned something, he went all the way.

Faith stepped out, fully geared up and ready to fight. She saw Xander standing with his arms crossed over his chest, a huge smile on his handsome face.

"Looking good, Faith," he complimented with a wink.

"I always look good, Stud."

They shared a chuckle as they went downstairs and got into the Mustang.

"So," Faith started as they pulled into the street, "where to first?"

"First, over to Joyce and Dawn's to see if they are alright. After that, we'll take them to Giles so he can look after them. Then we find out what's making Buffy's powers go nuts and see if it affects you."

"What...what if my powers go too? What do I do then, Xander?"

Xander looked over at Faith. For the first time since he'd known her she looked scared. Gone was the tough chick attitude, replaced by a scared teenage girl.

"Well, first off, if you do lose your powers, so what? Some of the most successful hunters have been human. Hell, Dante's first partner was human and she could kick his ass most of the time."

"For real?" Faith asked.

"Oh yeah," he replied smiling at her. "You'll ALWAYS be the badass raven haired hottie I've come to know, trust, and love."

A slow blush crept onto both their faces as they rode off into the night.

xxxxxx

Few minutes later, the library

xxxxxx

If Dawn thought her crush on Xander couldn't get any bigger, she was dead wrong. Weeks before, after the big blow up at the library, Xander and Faith had dropped by the Summers home and explained what had happened. Joyce and Dawn simply hugged to two and told them they were always welcome in their home.

Since then, every dream Dawn had featured Xander, clothing often being optional.

Now though, she was more worried about her bratty, older sister. Ever since school incident, the blonde had been a little off her game. Lately, it seemed to be getting worse and worse.

Xander and Faith arrived at their doorstep, and after making sure they were both ok, Joyce and Dawn found themselves in the back of Xander's Mustang, speeding off to the library of Sunnydale High School.

As they exited the car, Dawn noticed the guns Faith drew. She knew Xander used guns, thanks to the influence of Dante, but she never would have figured Faith would. Then again, things had changed a lot. As they entered the school, Xander was in front of them and Faith followed behind. Surprisingly, they felt safer here with the two armed, super powered teenagers then they had in their own home.

Just as they reached the library doors, Xander stopped abruptly in his tracks. Before Joyce or Dawn could say anything, Xander held up his hand and shook his head 'no'. Xander placed his finger over his lips and then pointed to the doors; someone was talking, or rather screaming.

"Yes, I understand sir, but you didn't have to threaten them!" the voice screamed. It was Giles.

For a brief moment, Xander looked at Joyce and Dawn, and then turned back to the doors.

"I know she is head strong but I still believe it would have been better to leave them out of it...Yes, I understand that it's an order from the Council...Yes, sir...I understand."

Suddenly, it all clicked in Xander's brain.

xxxxxx

Rupert Giles looked at the phone in his hand for a long second before hanging it up. It was because of moments like this that he wondered if it was worth it.

The Cruciamentum was a trial for Slayers when they 'came of age'. It had been a tradition for the Watchers since the founding of their organization.

In reality, for some Slayers, it was a death sentence. The Cruciamentum involved stripping a Slayer of her powers and tossing her into a fight with a hungry, near master class vampire. Very few Slayers survived the trial, mostly due to the fact that some of them hadn't had any real training.

"Was it worth it?" Giles thought to himself. "All of this, in danger thanks to me."

Before he could wallow in self-pity longer, the doors of the library burst open and in walked Xander, a very terrifying looking Xander. A confused Joyce and Dawn, and a sexy, yet lethal looking Faith followed closely behind him.

"Xander, what are you doing here?" Giles asked.

Instead of answering Xander grabbed the older man by his shirt neck and slammed him into a nearby table. It wasn't hard enough to cause him serious pain but it was enough to drive the air out of his lungs. As Giles tried to get his breath back, he felt something cold and metallic press against his forehead.

It was one of Xander's guns.

The Watcher's eyes went wide and his face grew white. Whatever had gotten into Xander, it looked like the young man wasn't going to let up easily.

"How long, Giles?" Xander demanded with a cold look in his eyes. "How long have you been doing this?"

"Xander," Joyce said as she kept her distance, "what are you doing?"

"What I'm doing is getting answers. You see, I finally put it all together. Seems Giles here has been responsible for Buffy's power loss! Now, Giles, either you tell me what's going on, or else."

The cold tone in Xander's voice made Giles's hair stand on end. It wasn't a threat, it was a promise.

"It's...it's called the Cruciamentum...a trial every Slayer has to go through when they reach the age of eighteen. Their powers are taken away and they are forced to fight off a vampire."

The library feel deathly silent. It was a silence so deafening it made the entire situation seem unreal.

Xander calmly let go of Giles and holstered his gun. Xander's expression made Giles feel incredibly small. Xander was looking at him with such cold eyes that it made Giles wonder if the teenager was going to kill him with his bare hands. Not that he wouldn't deserve it.

"Where is she, Giles?"

"I'm afraid I cannot tell you that, Xander," Giles said as he tried to straighten his shirt.

"I really don't think you have a choice in this matter, Giles. No, you can either tell me willingly, or I'll beat it out of you. Now, TALK!"

Again, it wasn't a threat, but a promise. One thing Giles knew of the boy, no, young man in front of him was that he ALWAYS kept his promises.

"An old, abandoned office near the docks. It says 'James Fish Cannery' on the outside. You'll find her there," Giles replied tiredly.

"Ok, everyone," Xander said, still not taking his eyes off Giles, "Joyce, Dawn, you guys are coming with us. You'll be safer that way. Let's go."

As Xander turned around to walk away, Joyce rushed up to Giles...and slapped him hard across the face. The slap wasn't all that painful...but emotionally it was like getting shot in the heart.

Xander put his hand on Joyce's shoulder and slowly guided her to the doors. She wanted to cry, that much he could tell, but she was stronger then he gave her credit for. Joyce held back the tears as she, with a renewed purpose, moved to the doors with Dawn in tow. Faith followed behind to make sure they were all right.

The demon hunter turned and started for the door but stopped mid pivot.

"You know, Giles," Xander started, not even bothering to look over his shoulder, "in a way, I'm kinda glad that Jenny is dead. That way she doesn't have to see the devil you've become."

Giles saw the young man walk away, without another word said. Xander was right on so many levels. He had become what he most hated. Giles slowly took off his glasses, sat down, and pulled out a bottle of Scotch. He poured himself a stiff drink and let his mind wander.

He had betrayed a young woman who saw him as a father.

He had betrayed his own soul.

He had indeed become a devil.

xxxxxx

Xander gripped the steering wheel tighter as he took the last corner of the block. He looked over at Faith out of the corner of his eye and noticed her grim expression. She also looked like she needed to hit something, or kill something. Maybe both.

Xander peered into the rearview mirror and looked at Joyce and Dawn. Joyce had finally let her tears out as soon as they got to the car, Dawn joining in soon after. Moments later though, they looked like hardened Summers women. The fire was back and they were without a doubt totally pissed.

Xander killed the engine as he stopped about half a block away from the cannery. He glanced around at the surrounding buildings and smiled.

"Stud?" Faith asked, not moving from where she sat. Xander's grin reminded her nervously of a shark's toothy leer.

"No wet works teams. Man, these guys are making it WAY too easy."

He winked at them and got out the car, Faith's door closing just after his. A second later, Joyce and Dawn joined them on the sidewalk as well. Faith shot Xander a confused look. He hadn't said anything about Joyce or Dawn since they'd left the library.

Xander popped the trunk and pulled the tarp off the newly installed weapons case. In the box were spare clips for Faith's guns as well as several bladed weapons, though mostly large knives. He drew a customized H&K MP5 with a suppressor. The clip held the same type of rounds as Faith's guns but was a slightly larger caliber. He caught Joyce's attention and handed the gun to her. She looked at him and then back at the gun.

"Xander?" Joyce asked. She never in her life had held or even seen a gun this close before in her life. And now, Xander was handing one over to her.

"You have a God given right to defend your children, Joyce. I need you to watch our backs while Faith and I save Buffy. It's up to you though."

Joyce heard those words and hesitantly took the weapon. It wasn't as heavy as she would have thought. She glanced at her youngest daughter who was looking at her with red puffy eyes. Dawn was no longer crying but dry tear tracks remained. Joyce made her decision.

"Show me how to fire this thing," she said in a low voice.

After a brief tutorial on how the submachine gun, they started towards the cannery. As they got closer to the structure, Xander noticed an unmarked van parked in front of the building.

"Oh, this is just too rich," Xander said with a smile.

"What's up?" Faith asked, confused.

"That," he pointed to the van, "if I'm not mistaken, has a bunch of Watchers in there. The sick bastards are probably watching on some close circuit TV."

"Fuck, what do we do?"

"Simple," Xander said as he looked at Joyce. "Joyce, I need you to hold these chumps off for me. Dawn, when I tell you to, I want you to open the door of the building. Close it right behind us and don't open it until I say it's ok."

Both women nodded. If there was one thing that all Summers women had, it was fire. Though presently Buffy's fire was a little dim. Xander and Faith walked in front, Joyce hanging back a few feet as they reached the van.

Xander grabbed the doors of the van and with little effort, tore them off, and tossed them away. His eyes narrowed as he noticed how the Watchers in the van were seated. There were five of them, acting as if they were at a poker game. They had loosened their ties and rolled up their shirt sleeves. Two were eating burgers while the others ate what looked like Chinese food. Xander could smell the stench of beer from where he stood. In front of the small black and white TV set they were huddled around, showing Buffy running scared for her life, was some money. More then likely the men were beating on how long she would last.

This pissed Xander off more then anything else.

"Gentlemen, and trust me I use the term loosely, I think it's time you packed it up," Xander replied with narrowed eyes.

"Do...do you know who we are?" one of them asked with wide eyes.

"Yeah, I do, and be thankful I'm here...because if not…" Xander let the threat hang in the air and pointed behind him to Joyce.

A very pissed off Joyce who had the semiautomatic gun pointed at them.

Xander looked back at the Watchers and just as he noticed one of them about to move, a sudden loud bang rocked the semi-quietness of the moment. Everyone looked over at Joyce whose eyes were as large as saucers. She had fired one round into the air and appeared about ready to freak out. She quickly got herself under control and reaimed the gun at the van full of Watchers.

The expression on Dawn's face was a mix of shock and awe. She had never seen her mom look so cool.

"Wow," Faith gushed with a grin, "go, J-Mom."

Joyce gave her a sheepish smile.

"Right," Xander started, "now that you know she is more then willing to shoot you guys, stay or else. Have fun."

Xander left the very pale Watchers who now recognized Joyce as the mother of the Slayer that they had in the abandoned building.

Leaving them in Joyce's capable hands, Xander, Faith, and Dawn walked over to the building's door. Faith reached up and grabbed the steel chain that held the door closed and simply ripped it off.

"Ok, Dawn-patrol," Xander teased, looking down at the younger Summers sister. "You know what to do?"

"Open the door, close it when you guys are in, and open it when only you guys come out," Dawn replied, her hands clutching a cross to her chest.

"Good girl."

"I'm no dog, Xander," Dawn snapped.

"Ok, ok, calm down." Xander smiled.

Dawn was putting on a brave face for the sake of her own pride and for her mother. She wanted to be strong for her sister and mother, now she had the chance to prove it. Sure, it was only opening a door and closing it but to her, it was more. Xander was putting his trust in her. With a nod from Xander, Dawned opened the door and closed it right after they got in.

Now, she waited.

xxxxxx

As soon as the door closed, both Xander and Faith drew their guns. Xander could tell Faith was still getting used to the guns. The dark haired Slayer swallowed lightly and brought her guns up to the ready.

They could hear the sounds of fighting up ahead as they got deeper into the old, vacant cannery. As they rounded the corner, they could saw Buffy, beaten and bruised, at the mercy of an insane looking vampire.

Then again, most vamps looked insane.

Faith, at Xander's signal, aimed her gun and shot out the knee of the vampire. As it screamed out in pain and shock, Faith came up behind him and cut his head clean off with one of her short swords.

As the vampire turned to dust, Xander scanned the area around them, his guns in position to fire, making sure no other vampires were around. He twirled Ebony and Ivory once before putting them away and picked up the dazed bleach blonde.

"Xander?" Buffy mumbled softly.

"No," Xander replied as he picked her up and made his way to the door, "it's Rick James's bitch. Of course it's Xander."

Faith tried, and failed, to keep herself from laughing, both at what Xander had just said and the look on the elder Slayer's face. When they reached the door, Xander quickly knocked on the door. It opened, revealing a slightly scared Dawn and an anxious gun carrying Joyce.

"Special delivery for a Joyce Summers," Xander said as he put Buffy back on her feet.

With a happy sounding shriek, Joyce rushed over to Buffy and gave her the biggest hug she could, along with Dawn. Oddly enough, she never let go of the semiautomatic gun she still held. As this was happening, the Watchers in the van slowly started to get out of the van, only to be stopped before they could fade into the night by Faith. The Slayer was smiling a devilish grin.

That was never a good thing.

"Going somewhere, boys?"

Behind them Xander cracked his knuckles, sporting the same grin as Faith.

"Welcome to the new, most painful moment of the rest of your lives."

For the next few long minutes, the pair made the statement a reality.

xxxxxx

Library, a few minutes later

xxxxxx

"How could you let this happen, Rupert?" Quintin Travers yelled.

The head of the Watchers Council had come earlier in the week to see how the trial was starting off, also to look into the rumors of a new hunter on the Hellmouth. Every time he attempted to find out more of this hunter all he heard were second hand accounts of someone who was far more powerful then any Slayer in history. It was quite simply unheard of.

He had also come to make sure that Summers failed her trial and died. Travers also wanted to make sure that after Summers's death the next Slayer called was 'properly' trained. In his mind, Slayers were nothing more then tools.

"Well, I couldn't do anything about it, now could I?" Giles countered "And I still think that this 'trial' is not necessary."

"I'll decide what is and what is not necessary!"

"And I'll decide if it is necessary to whip your ass or not!"

The voice caught them both off guard. They turned around to face a very infuriated looking Xander Sparda. Standing beside him was Faith, the other Slayer. All three Summers women were behind them. All wore expressions of the women extreme anger.

"Who are you, young man? And why do you have these Slayers?" Travers demanded. The look the young man leveled him with was colder then anything he had ever seen.

"These Slayers as you call them are my friends. Well, one is a friend, the other is just someone whose mother is like a mother to me."

"Do you have any idea what you have done, you fool?! You ruined a thousand year tradition," Travers yelled at Xander.

"Yeah, my heart bleeds for ya, old man," Faith answered with a smirk.

"SHUT UP YOU, LITTLE WHORE!"

Before anyone could respond or even react, Quintin Travers was grabbed by the neck and lifted up into the air. The eyes glaring at him where those of a devil, or worse.

"Say it again," Xander started with a cold, even tone, "I dare you."

"Xander, please, do put him down."

Xander gave Giles a quick glower and dropped the Head Watcher on his ass...hard.

"Whatever, Giles. Do you have ANY idea what those assholes were doing? They were betting on how long Buffy would last! And I bet this piece of shit was planning on her not surviving," Xander yelled.

It was a good thing that he had already taken the gun from Joyce. Then again, in her motherly fury, she was more then likely strong enough to use her bare hands to rip into Travers.

"Do you have any idea who I am?" Travers challenged, rubbing his neck.

"No. Do you know how I am?"

"Well...no, I don't," Travers replied, totally perplexed.

"Well, there you go then, something we have in common. Hopefully it's the ONLY thing we have in common."

"Enough of this!" the Head Watcher screamed. "I will not have you interfering in this honored tradition."

"Honored? Please. I call this so called 'honored tradition' nothing more then a much of old men getting off on a young girl getting killed! You may think of them as nothing more then property but Slayers are living, breathing human beings."

"They are nothing but property, the Watchers Council's property. And soon it will be HER turn and you can do NOTHING to stop us," Travers sneered, looking at Faith with the same leer many others had, the same look most of the men in her life had given her. It was a look of pure disgusting lust.

At that moment Xander snapped. With lightening fast reflexes, Xander drew Ebony from his holster and fired off a bullet, blowing Travers's leg off from the knee down.

For a split second, everything was still and eerily quiet, almost as if time itself stopped. Then, the frantic screaming of a now legless Head Watcher broke the stillness.

"OH GOD, MY LEG!!"

Blood started to shoot out of the stump as Joyce covered Dawn's eyes. Giles and Buffy's faces paled as they saw the man holding his bloody stump. Strangely, Faith didn't look all that affected. Part of her wanted Xander to blow his head clean off.

"Now, listen to me, asshole," Xander said through clenched teeth. "You will leave and never come back. You will keep giving Buffy all the help she needs. If she gets any misinformation or if she or any of her family gets hurt, I'll come after you. GOT IT?!"

The man stopped howling in pain and looked up at Xander. His face was paling by the second, not only from blood loss, but also from fear. In fact, he was so scared, he had even pissed his pants, something he had NEVER done before.

"Now, I think you should leave."

Some of the Watchers from the van had come in at some point and seen the entire thing. They quickly picked up their boss and applied some quick first aid. As they lifted their leader up, Travers looked over his shoulder and stared right at Giles.

"You're fired, Rupert."

"Hey, asshole. You leaving or do I have to shoot your OTHER leg off?"

After the threat, they quickly left, leaving a small trail of blood and piss.

Xander and Faith hung back to make certain everyone was alright.

Giles was sitting on the ground, cleaning Buffy's injuries. It seemed as if she had forgiven him. Joyce, on the other hand, was a different story.

She was still a little cautious around the British man, and with good reason. She and Dawn stayed close to Xander and Faith. That was just fine with Dawn. Any time she could spend time around Xander was always good.

"Xander," Joyce said from his left, "I want to thank you for everything you've done. Not just for Buffy, but for Dawn and me. I...I don't know how to thank you."

"You could make me some of your chocolate chip cookies as a start," Xander replied, smiling.

Slowly, a teary-eyed Joyce Summers hugged a slightly confused and blushing Xander Sparda. Joyce wondered how many times Xander had really saved her daughter and everyone else. She had heard the stories of Xander fighting in the shadows, keeping them safe, but Joyce wondered just how far he went for them. Another pair of arms found their way around him as Dawn hugged him as well.

"Lord," Xander said as he looked up, "I just like to thank you for this one moment in time."

The statement was rewarded with two blushes from the Summers women. Well, that and a light smack upside his head.

"God, Xander," Faith said with a smirk, "you are such a dork."

xxxxxx

End of Flashback

xxxxxx

The light knocking on her door didn't bother Faith one little bit. Although, it was getting a little annoying.

"Faith," a familiar voice sang out slowly, "oh, Faith. It's time to wake up. Come on, wakey, wakey, time for eggs and bacy."

The voice finally clicked in her head. It was Xander, her teammate and housemate.

"You're on fire," Faith mumbled. "You're on fire and I'm the only one who can put you out, 'cause that is the ONLY reason you're waking me up this early in the morning!"

Xander blinked a few times and just smiled evilly as he grabbed the sheets and tore them off her, revealing a shivering long shirt and panty clad Faith.

Snapping from her 'sleep' Faith grabbed one of her guns and aimed it at Xander. She knew the gun would be useless on him, also she didn't have it loaded. Normally, a man who had a gun aimed at him would turn tail and run.

But then again, this was Xander.

"Happy Birthday, Faith," he said with a smile.

Faith blinked away the little sleep she had and said one thing, one thing that summed up everything she felt at this moment.

"Huh?"

xxxxxx  
TBC  
xxxxxx

AN1: For those of you wondering who Dante's first partner was, it was a demon hunter by the name of 'Lady'. She's seen in Devil May Cry 3: Dante's awakening.

AN2: Faith's guns 


	7. You Shook Me All Night Long!

"Huh?"

"Wow, ever the literal genius, huh, Faith?" Xander replied with a smirk.

"Bite me, Xander. I haven't had my coffee yet."

"You know," Xander said, smirking at her, "I would bite you, but one of us might like it too much. Now get your fat, lazy ass out of bed. We got a whole day ahead of us."

"My ass ain't fat, Xander," Faith replied. She wondered where she put that clip for her gun.

"Hey, I saw how you've struggled to get into your pants lately—ACK!"

Whatever else he had to say was cut off by a pillow being thrown at him via 'Air Slayer'. His male instincts soon kicked in and Xander hightailed it out of Faith's room while laughing his ass off.

Faith, now on her knees and with a pillow in her hand, wondered why she took up Xander's offer.

She yawned before putting the empty gun away and stretching. Faith took a quick look in her full-length mirror, checking her backside. She didn't find anything wrong as far as she could see. With a shrug and a mental note to get Xander back, she stepped out of her room.

In the kitchen, Xander was brewing coffee, clad in a pair of pajama pants with broken hearts on them and a tank top that had, 'What, me worry?' on it. He was yawning and running his hand through his messy hair. It wasn't exactly what she pictured a demon hunter to be like.

'Wish I had a camera,' she thought to himself.

He handed her her usual mug of coffee and sat in front of her with a smile sipping his own.

"Stud, I don't feel like going anywhere. Birthdays and me just don't mix."

"Sorry, Faith," Xander said as she finished off his coffee, "as of today, by order of yours truly, that all changes. Now, get your fat, lazy ass in the shower. We're heading over to Jack's for some breakfast."

"Fine, fine, but let's get something VERY clear. One, I'm going under protest, and two, I DO NOT HAVE A FAT ASS!"

As Faith stormed off to the shower, Xander rubbed his ear. One thing could be said about the raven haired Slayer, she had a healthy set of lungs. Though, as she walked off to get her towel, Xander noticed she didn't have a fat ass. In fact, it was a nicely shaped one.

'Hmm, nice,' he thought to himself. 'Ack! Bad, Xander, bad. You can't look at her ass, no matter how nice it looks.'

He was left in a slight daze as he heard the shower and went into his own room to get his towel. Xander didn't know how long he stood there before he came out again. He couldn't hear the shower anymore and saw that Faith's door was closed.

His hand slowly reached for the door handle…

As Faith shut off the water, she wondered how, yet again, Xander had managed to talk her into it.

She stayed there for a few moments trying to sort things out. Faith liked to think of herself as a tough chick, one who wouldn't do what others told her to do unless she wanted to do it. Yet, things were different now. With Xander, he didn't tell her what to do, he asked. He allowed her to make up her own mind. Also it was hard for her to say no to those eyes of his.

Now, here she was, getting showered for her birthday.

The term 'birthday' sent a slight pang to her gut. Growing up the way she had, Faith never had a good one. It was either being ignored or being slapped around by her mother or the boyfriend of the day. It hadn't been until her Watcher, Linda, that she had one really great birthday.

Linda was less of a Watcher and more of a best friend/mother figure. She was there for both the good times and bad. It hadn't really been her birthday but both ladies decided to treat it like it was. Surprisingly enough, Linda had shown her wild side that day. She, along with Faith, had gotten matching tattoos as a way to remember the night.

A few weeks after that, Kakistos showed up, and everything went downhill from there.

Faith let a lone tear fall down her face. Yet another reason she hated the term 'birthday'.

With a reluctant sigh, Faith reached over and grabbed her towel.

Suddenly, the door opened and both sets of eyes locked into each other's in shock and surprise.

Neither of them moved from their spot.

"AHHH!!"

The door quickly slammed shut, leaving Faith totally confused about what just happened. Xander had just seen her naked and screamed. She didn't know if she should be pissed because of the scream or of being seen naked. Not that she minded.

Faith opened the door, the towel wrapped around her, and saw Xander sitting. His eyes were still rounded with surprise and he wore a strange expression on his face. It was almost as if he'd seen the devil himself (which wasn't all that far fetched).

"Um, hey, Stud," Faith said first. "Are you ok?"

"Ididn'tseeanythingIswearpleasedon'thitme!!!"

Not exactly what she usually heard when someone saw her naked.

"Stud, really it's ok. It was an accident."

Despite that, Xander was still freaking out a little.

Xander was still freaking out.

This was a touchy situation. The Dante part of him wanted to whistle and howl like a mad man. The original Xander part of him wanted to do the same while blushing like a mad man, which he was doing now.

"Faith," Xander said calming down more, "I swear it was an accident. I didn't even know you were still in there."

"Ahh, forget it, Stud. But if you ever do anything like that again, I just MIGHT hit you. Get it?"

"Got it." 

"Good."

Faith smiled as she winked at him and left for her room. As Xander got up, he just knew that Faith was going to turn this around to her advantage. As he stripped down in the bathroom and was about to turn on the shower, the door burst open.

Xander knew he had supernatural speed, strength, healing, and reflexes. Yet, none of that could save him from a smiling Faith. Like before, Xander blinked a few times as Faith looked him over. The smirk on her face just screamed 'got ya'.

"Hmm, not bad, Stud," Faith complimented as she licked her lips.

"Umm, Faith," Xander started, forgetting he was naked, "what are you doing?"

"Well, Stud, you got to see mine, only fair I get to see yours."

Again, with a wink, she left a confused and flustered Xander.

Minutes later, a much calmer Xander came back out. Calmer thanks to a very cold shower. He noticed Faith was still getting ready. Quickly jumping into his room, he made a quick call on his cell phone to make sure everything was set.

With her trademark smirk on her face, Faith finished getting ready for the day.

Today she went with a pair of blue jean hip huggers and a red long-sleeved belly shirt that said 'Little Devil' in black script, the 'L' ending like a devil's tail. To finish off the outfit she had a pair of black 'ass kicker' boots. All in all, she looked very much the part of a hottie, especially with her hair hanging loose.

Faith grabbed her favorite leather jacket and stepped outside of her room to see a now fully clothed Xander waiting for her.

The brown haired man had on a black long-sleeved shirt that had a silver cross emblazoned on it from the neck down to the hem. He also wore a pair of dark blue jeans, the leg hems slightly ripped, and a pair of black boots. His hair was slicked back lightly with a few bangs hanging down.

"Aww, man," Faith said in a teasing tone. "Here I was hoping you'd be in your birthday suit again."

"If anything, Faith, it should be you in your birthday suit. It is your birthday after all."

"Look, Stud, I appreciate you doing this, I really do, but me and birthdays just don't mix," Faith said, uncharacteristically sheepish.

Smiling, Xander looked at her and placed his hand on her shoulder. Using his other hand, he cupped Faith's chin and lifted her head up.

"Faith, trust me. I know, but things change. That's the one thing that always stays the same. Now, let's get going. I'm hungry and I'm not letting you near the kitchen again."

"Hey, that's not fair," Faith countered. "I never said I was a good cook."

"Well, another thing I can blame on you Slayers, the ability to burn water."

Faith stuck her tongue out at him, sending them both in a fit of chuckles. They made their way downstairs to the Mustang still laughing. Faith sobered when she noticed something to the far right of the 'garage area', next to a pile of junk and spare parts.

"Hey, Stud," Faith said getting his attention, "what's that?" She nodded her head over to where a mud brown tarp that was covering something up. 

"Oh, that? Well, you'll see when we get back."

The innocent tone didn't sit well with Faith. She gave the tarp covered object one last curious look before she looked back at Xander.

"So, Stud," Faith smiled, "since it's my birthday and all, can I drive?" 

"No."

"Aww, come on, pretty please?"

"Hmm, let me think about that…no."

"Killjoy."

"Hey, you can call me anything you want but I'm not letting you behind the wheel of my ride," Xander said with a mysterious smile.

Faith really wanted to find out why he was smiling.

When they got to 'Jack's Place' Faith was suddenly attacked.

Attacked by Cathy and Jack as they, and a few other of the regulars, started to sing happy birthday to her slightly off key. Faith didn't know whether to laugh or run away. The large breakfast waiting for her managed to crack her armor a little.

At their usual table (Faith and Xander's) was a plate with a large stack of apple pancakes in the shape of a heart with a single candle in the middle.

A small tear made its way down the Slayer's cheek as Cathy hugged her from behind and rubbed her shoulder. Xander and Jack stood in front of her, grinning like a pair of idiots. As she blew out the candle, Faith found herself being…happy. For the first time in a long time, she was actually happy.

They all watched as Faith inhaled her birthday breakfast with speed only a Slayer possessed. And, in typical Xander sense, Xander pulled out a camera and started to take pictures, especially when Faith looked up from her plate, with most of the apples and syrup on her lips and chin.

As they laughed, Xander's eyes met Faith's. They were wide, happy, and a little watery, and not from just laughing. She was starting to open up more and more to the world around her. Faith was having her moment of true happiness, with more to come.

After breakfast, Faith was taken to the one place she swore she would never go.

A place every typical Californian girl hung around and maybe even worshipped.

The Mall.

"You have got to be shitting me, Stud. Me? At the mall?"

"Faith, I shit you not," Xander replied as he pushed the raven haired Slayer deeper into the shopping complex.

"But…but…it's the MALL! I don't do malls." 

"Well, today you do. Besides, I have something no woman can resist!" 

"Would it be your charm? No, wait, it's your wit? Oh, I got it, your collection of Babylon 5 dishes!"

"Ok, first of all, bite me. Second, those are collectors' items," Xander replied to a grinning Faith. "No, I mean this!" 

Xander reached into his jeans and pulled out a brand new credit card. He could see Faith's eyes double in size as she tried not to look interested. It was a proven fact that all women, no matter if they are supernatural or not, loved to shop.

"Come on, Faith," Xander teased as he waved the card in front of her. "You know you want to. Look at it, all shiny and just BEGGING to be used, for ANYTHING you want." 

The phrase 'faster then a speeding bullet' couldn't do justice to Faith when she grabbed both the card and Xander, and started to drag HIM deeper and deeper into the mall.

Anything that Faith saw that she wanted, she brought. And anything that she brought Xander had to carry.

It didn't matter that he was supernaturally strong or not, no man can carry so many bags. By the time two hours had passed Xander had, at the very least, ten bags with more to come.

"Now, you sit there, Stud, and tell me what you think," Faith said, flashing her ever present smirk. They had reached one of the Mall's more 'unique' stores. In fact, the store was called 'Unique'.

The store was a mix of modern and alternative clothing for the more individual people of Sunnydale. For some odd reason they were having a sale on swim suits. And for the same odd reason, Xander could just tell this was going to be…a little crazy.

Faith gave him one last look just as she closed the door to her changing room. The next few minutes were both heaven and hell for Xander.

Every time Faith came out, the bikinis got shorter, tighter, and a lot more daring. Especially with her dancing too. The first one was a hot, red single piece that had a daring V plunge, showing off Faith's chest. After that, came a black two piece thong that made Xander want to get on his knees, cry, and thank God he was born a man.

As husbands and boyfriends walked by, each gave Xander a look. He couldn't tell if they were looks of jealously or envy. What topped the proverbial cake was when Faith came out in a blue latex number that left VERY little to the imagination.

But as bad as those were, the one that really broke him was the one Faith finally bought.

That one, for God (or gods) knows why, was cut to resemble the classic 'school girl' uniform. The top was white with black dots as buttons. It was cut in the open to show off her generous chest. The bottom consisted of a VERY small 'skirt' made of leather over bikini cut bottoms.

((A/N: Think of the Movie 'The New Guy' where Eliza gave that little dance in all the different bikinis. Lucky bastard…))

Xander wanted to grab a cartoon mallet and slam it over and over again after howling.

"Aaaaw, did I break poor little Xander?" Faith smirked as they sat at the food court. Sitting before her was a wide eyed, blushing Xander.

"I'm sorry, the brain you are trying to contact cannot be reached at this moment. Please call back and try again," Xander said with a dreamy expression.

"Hmm, guess I did."

"So stud," Faith said as she climbed into the Mustang, "where to next?"

"Well, right now we're heading back home to drop off your stuff and then to show you your other gift."

Faith was just about to ask about the other gift when they pulled into their HQ/home. It was funny, her thinking of this place as her home. She liked that.

As Xander shut the car off, he looked over at Faith with the same smile as before. "Alright, you stay right here and I'll be right back."

In the blink of an eye, Xander grabbed her bags and ran upstairs, leaving a confused Faith behind. While he was gone though, Faith slowly made her way over to the mud brown tarp.

Just as she was about to reach it…

"Hey, no touching that, young lady," Xander said as he suddenly appeared right next to her. "Well, not until I get a chance to see your face."

Faith looked back at Xander puzzled just as he grabbed the tarp and pulled it off, revealing a beautiful custom motorcycle. And not just any custom motorcycle, a Harley-Davidson soft tail. The bike was a deep red with black flames painted on the gas tank, chromed, and you could clearly see it was a little chopped as well, giving it a truly customized look. It was the kind of ride Faith has always wanted, something that could be both a cruiser and a mean street bike at the same time.

"Tada, and here you are, Faith, a one of a kind ride just for you." Xander smiled at her.

Faith had yet to move from her spot or say anything.

"Um, Faith? Anyone home?"

Again nothing.

"Come on, Fait. You're starting to scare me here," Xander said as he poked Faith in her side.

Suddenly, it happened. Faith, the stone cold foxy raven haired Slayer, let out the world's loudest, girlish squeal. It wasn't something Xander had expected but it was better then having Faith just stand there with her mouth open.

As Xander used his pinky to clear his ears, he saw Faith running around the bike, looking at it from every angle she could. She looked like a kid in a candy store as she drooled over the black and chrome bike.

"I take it you like it?"

"Like it?" Faith repeated with wide eyes. "I love it. How did you know?"

"Well, the thing is, I just guessed."

Seeing Faith's confused look he went on.

"Ya see, when I finished putting this bad boy together," Xander said pointing to the Mustang, "I wanted to see if I could do the same to a bike. See, Dante was more of a biker while yours truly is more of a car guy. Never did get use to using it, but it's fast."

Faith turned back to look at the bike and ran a slender finger along the smooth frame. She then noticed something along the gas cap and down its sides. It looked like a tribal heart design, the sides taking up most of the tank.

"So, Stud," Faith said as she got on the bike, "ready for me to steer you around those curves?"

Xander smiled, seeing Faith straddling the bike, making it look so natural. "Sure, why not? It's just not a good day without you trying to kill me."

Chuckling at the look he was getting, Xander grabbed a pair of bike helmets and passed one to Faith. It was a little weird for him as he sat behind Faith and put his arms on her hips. He had to admit, Faith's hair smelled really nice.

"Ya know, Stud," Faith teased just before she pushed the flip up helmet down, "they call the back seat of a bike the 'bitch seat'."

"So what? This makes me your bitch?"

"You said it, I didn't."

With a wild laugh, Faith kicked the motorcycle's engine to life. The powerful supercharged motor roared to life between Faith's legs. She was a little surprised but quickly got used to it.

The gates of the warehouse opened, thanks to a small switch on the handle bars, and out roared Faith, slowly easing the two wheeled monster out into the street.

"Ok, Faith," Xander pleaded as he licked his lips, "go easy on her. This is her maiden voyage, so please, PLEASE, take it easy."

"Aaaw, poor Xander scared?" Faith asked as she revved motorcycle engine and quickly got a nod. "Good!"

Suddenly, Faith let the clutch go and off roared the motorcycle, leaving skid marks all over the road.

Time: a few minutes later

Place: Outside the Bronze

As Faith killed the engine to her custom ride, she couldn't help but grin at the feeling of Xander's hands on her hips. It felt right to her.

"Oh my God," Xander said as he took his helmet off, "we got here alive."

"Hey! It wasn't that bad!"

"Well, it wasn't that good either. So there."

The only response Faith had to that was sticking her tongue out at Xander.

"Mature, Faith, really mature. Come on, girl, time for your OTHER present," he said with an evil smile. It wasn't really evil, just sinister.

Reluctantly, Faith followed Xander into the only night club in Sunnydale. On the ride here, which was short considering Faith was driving, Xander kept talking about her OTHER present. Yet, no matter how much she poked and prodded, Xander hadn't said one word about it.

They reached an empty table a few feet from the main stage and sat down, quickly making their order for drinks and some food.

What they didn't see was that five sets of eyes had spotted them.

They could clearly see them from their booth at the other side of the club.

The Bronze wasn't all the large, considering the kind of night clubs in California. Also, it was hard to miss two people who they barely saw anymore. Though, Buffy refused to admit that she had any fault in the separation.

Beside her sat her on again, off again boyfriend Angel. Next to him were Willow and her werewolf boyfriend, Oz. Since getting the night off from the band Oz had spent the whole day with his red headed, witch girlfriend. With the demonic underground quiet tonight (thanks to Xander and Faith, though Buffy once again refused to believe that), they had decided to take the night off and enjoy a night out. Everything was going alright until Buffy spotted Xander and Faith walking in...and laughing.

Part of her, a part she would never admit to, was a little jealous at how quickly her former friend and her sister Slayer had gotten so close. Since their little blow up a while back and her rescue, she had rarely seen them. The few times she had, the pair was always together talking intently about something. From what little she did hear, not that she was eavesdropping, they were talking about Slaying or something else, something or things that only friends talked about.

"What's he doing here what that slut?" Willow's voice queried, bringing Buffy out of her thoughts. Angel and Oz quickly looked up and saw who she was talking about.

To their surprise, Xander and Faith were sitting relatively close to one another at the table. Something was going on.

Cordelia Chase prided herself on being the Queen of Sunnydale High School. Since dumping Xander, she had once again gotten her crown back but it was lonely at the top.

She knew that Oz had forgiven Willow for her part in the cheating. Part of her wanted to forgive Xander, seeing as how she did sort of cheat on him too during the summer. But, she didn't want to be hurt again. She had her sheep again, though somehow it just wasn't the same anymore.

As Cordelia looked around the night club she spotted none other then Alexander Harris himself. She had heard what had happened the very same night that she'd called him 'the Zeppo', how he had destroyed a giant demon and its followers with weird powers and weapons. From what she had heard, Xander was pretty much unstoppable.

Now, there he was with Faith of all people. And from the looks of things, they were pretty close.

Something was going on.

"You know," Faith said as she took a sip of her coke, "they're all watching us."

Chuckling, Xander looked up from his burger and replied, "Yeah, well, let them watch. And now, let them watch as I go to the little boys' room. Excuse me."

With that, Xander got up and quickly made his way to where the bathroom was, which was near the stage.

So far things were going alright, though that feeling was still there, the feeling that something was going on.

"Well, look who's here. Where's the loser?"

The snobby voice behind Faith was totally unmistakable. It belonged to none other then Cordelia, aka the Queen of Sunnydale.

Not that Faith really cared.

"Aaaaw, what's wrong, Queen C? Going stag tonight?" Faith asked with a small smirk of her own.

"Whatever," was the response she got as Cordy tossed her hair. "It's not like I care who the loser goes out with."

Faith got a slightly evil glint in her eyes. "Ya know something, Queen C, I been wondering. If you and Xander had such a tight relationship, then why didn't he tell you anything?"

That one question got Cordelia's attention.

"Maybe 'cause he knew that you didn't totally trust him?"

"It doesn't matter," Cordelia said in an icy tone. "Even with his powers, he's still a loser and a geek."

"Ya know, Xander is right. You really can't see him."

With a look that could kill, Cordelia turned and walked back to wherever she had come from.

With a look of victory, Faith turned back to her food. Today was so far a good day.

The lights unexpectedly dimming save for the light on the stage, startled her. The stage curtains started to part to reveal none other than The Dingo's themselves, The Dingo's plus Xander.

From his seat next to Willow, Oz noticed his band was not only on stage, but also ready to play. Also his spot, he could see that the lead guitarist position had been taken over by Xander of all people. In fact, Xander looked very comfortable with candy apple red guitar he was holding.

Xander smiled as he reached up and lightly tapped his microphone.

"Xander?" Buffy whispered to herself but was still heard by everyone at her table.

A slack-jawed Faith stared up at the smiling Xander.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Bronze. Tonight is a very special night for a lucky someone out there, so this is dedicated to her. Happy Birthday."

Xander smiled as he nodded to The Dingo's. He started off with his guitar, playing a familiar rift as the drums joined his guitar and the rest of the band. With a wink to a flushed Faith, Xander started to sing.

She was a fast machine  
She kept her motor clean  
She was the best damn woman I had ever seen  
She had the sightless eyes  
Telling me no lies  
Knockin' me out with those American thighs  
Taking more than her share  
Had me fighting for air  
She told me to come but I was already there

The look of pure and utter jealousy was on the pretty face of one Cordelia Chase as Xander sang the song to Faith.

'Cause the walls start shaking  
The earth was quaking  
My mind was aching  
And we were making it and you…

If today could get any weirder for Faith...it just had. There was Xander, singing to her and singing one of her favorite songs.

Shook me all night long

Yeah you

Shook me all night long

A wide eyed blonde Slayer couldn't keep her eyes off of Xander as he sang and played like a pro.

Working double time  
On the seduction line  
She was one of a kind, she's just mine all mine  
She wanted no applause  
Just another course  
Made a meal out of me and came back for more  
Had to cool me down  
To take another round  
Now I'm back in the ring to take another swing  
'Cause the walls were shaking  
The earth was quaking  
My mind was aching  
And we were making it and you…

Willow was mirroring her blonde friend next to her. She'd never seen Xander play any instrument, let alone sing.

Shook me all night long

Yeah you

Shook me all night long

Knockin' me out and you

Shook me all night long

Had me shakin' and you

Shook me all night long

Yeah, you shook me

Yeah, you took me

Xander's guitar solo got nearly the entire place cheering as everyone in the crowd sang along and clapped to the song. Not to mention he was doing a good impression of Gene Simmons, the man from KISS, with his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

Even Oz looked a little jealous at how incredible Xander was playing.

With a smile Xander looked right at Faith and kept on singing.

You really took me and you

Shook me all night long

Oh, you

Shook me all night long

Yeah, yeah you

Shook me all night long

You really took me and you

Shook me all night long

Yeah shook me all night long!

The song ended and the entire audience went wild, clapping and giving wolf calls as Xander waved at them.

He unslung the guitar and put it away, nodding to the band as a show of thanks. Xander hopped off stage and made his way to the table that he was sharing with Faith. Said Slayer was looking at him with her mouth hanging open.

"How? What? When?"

"You know," Xander said as he put a fry into his mouth, "I think there's a question in there somewhere."

Finally getting out of her daze, Faith started talking. "How the hell did you pull this one off?"

"Well, you see, when I found out today was your birthday I thought something big was called for. And well, you know me, I like doing things big...and that came out so wrong."

"Ok, that explains some things. What I want to know is how you knew that was my favorite song?"

"Ahh," Xander said as he took a sip of his coke, "that's an easy one. I heard you singing it while you were in the shower awhile back. Though, I thought it was a screaming chicken being killed by a roaring Wookie."

"Smart ass," Faith said with a slap upside his head.

From the other side of the club Buffy, Willow, Oz, and Angel watched the two laughing and talking.

They all had shocked faces, though in Oz's case he only had a raised eyebrow which was the equal to him having a heart attack.

"Um, Angel?" Buffy said, still shocked.

"Yeah?"

"How come you never sing for me?"

Xander paid for the food and drinks and, along with Faith, left to the light clapping of the Bronze patrons.

Faith and Xander got on the bike and headed back home, Faith oddly quiet. As they got in the warehouse, the first thing Faith did, as soon as she got her helmet off, was grab Xander and give him the deepest, hottest kiss he had ever had (though it was just as hot and deep for her).

"That's for the song and the day out, Stud," Faith said as she broke the kiss.

She turned and left the stunned and dreamy eyed demon hunter trying to work his mouth.

"…Wow..."

It felt like hours (it was really only a few minutes) until Xander got his body to work. He made his way upstairs to see a sight he thought he'd never see. Faith had somehow fallen asleep on the sofa waiting for Xander.

Xander had a small smile on his face as he went over to the Slayer. Today had taken out a lot on the raven haired hottie. Seeing as how she had gotten everything she had ever wanted, Xander could understand, clothes, a cool ride, a song sung to her, and most of all she had people who truly cared for her.

Xander was just about to pick her up to take her to her bedroom when she grabbed onto him and pulled him down next to her. His face went red as she nuzzled closer to him, putting her head on his shoulder, dangerously close to his neck.

Xander Sparda, unstoppable demon hunter, was now a human pillow to one of the most beautiful women on the planet.

He looked down at her and smiled as he draped an arm around her and pulled her closer. She had a cute little grin on her face as she slept, making her look like nothing but an innocent young woman.

That thought was tossed out the window and run over by a monster truck when Faith placed her hand on his inner thigh.

This...was going to be a long night.

To be continued

((A/N: Faith's new bike http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/5251/wpe472ba9.jpg ))


	8. Bring Me To Life

xxxxxx

A few weeks after Faith's birthday

xxxxxx

Faith was dressed in a gray sports bra and black sweat pants as she trained. A light layer of sweat had built while she twirled both curved short swords around her. The movements were so graceful she almost appeared to dance. Since teaming up with Xander, who was much stronger and faster then her, Faith was finally able to go all out when she sparred. The result of these intense sessions was a wonderful increase in strength, not to mention quicker reflexes.

As she slashed with her right hand, she followed with a quick right kick to her imaginary opponent. All her hard work was in preparation for today.

Today was a very special day for her. Today was the birthday of her dead mother figure and Watcher, Linda Dormer. Most of all, today was the day she was going to pay the woman back.

Before Linda had found her, Faith had been a loud mouth kid from the streets with no place to go. Her mom had just kicked her out for not turning tricks for her. She mostly lived on the streets, shacking up in homeless shelters. All of that changed in one night.

Faith was on her way back to the small apartment a friend of hers was letting her stay at when out of nowhere, she was attacked. She was used to it, having been mugged twice before, but this time it was different. The very air seemed impossibly charged with an almost feral aggressiveness. When Faith got a look at her attacker, she realized the vibe was coming from him.

She'd never seen anyone like this. The would-be mugger was almost animal like in appearance. Large ridges along his face and forehead disfigured his face. His eyes had an unreal yellow shine to them and his mouth had fangs of all things. His smile was the same one her mom's 'boyfriends' used when they saw her, the kind of smile that sent chills up a girl's spine. And not the good kind.

Just as he was about to attack, Faith felt a rage deep inside that she had never felt before. She flipped back up to her feet and slammed her foot into the thing's face, sending it to the wall hard. Before she could beat the crap out of it, a sword flashed from out of nowhere and sliced its head off.

Faith watched in morbid fascination as the headless body slowly turned into ashes. She looked to her right, towards the entrance of the alleyway. There stood a woman, in her mid thirties or so, smiling. She held a saber in one hand and a sharpened piece of wood in the other.

She tossed the stake to Faith, much to the teen's surprise, and pointed over Faith's shoulder. When the raven-haired teen looked over her shoulder, she saw two more of those things coming at them. Faith wasn't sure why the strange woman had given her a stake but positioned herself into a street fighter/martial arts stance anyway. She was lucky a few of the bikers she had gotten to know a few months previous were hardcore fighters, not to mention nice guys who didn't mind teaching a young girl how to defend herself.

After a few minutes of fighting, a smiling Faith twirled the stake in her hand and looked at the woman who sported an equally wide smile. From that night on, the two had been inseparable.

Faith stopped herself mid-kick as she felt her eyes water. With a sigh, she sheathed the twin swords and grabbed a towel. She wouldn't let herself cry. Not yet.

"Faith?"

She looked up to see Xander standing there with a concerned look on his face. Faith tried to put on a brave face but she knew she could never really hide anything from him. It was almost as if he could read her like a book.

"You need some rest if our plan is going to work," Xander said as he moved over to her and placed an arm around her waist. She looked tired and worn out. Her late night workouts had taken a lot out of her.

Xander had never seen Faith look as vulnerable and open as she did now. She had some bags under her eyes, a clear indication she wasn't getting much sleep. That was something they shared in common.

Every night for the past month or so, Faith had woken in a cold sweat, crying. And every night, Xander was there hugging her and lulling her back to sleep. It wasn't until she finally broke down and she told him everything that she'd managed at least two hours of uninterrupted sleep.

Since that night, Xander had one driving factor-getting Faith some peace of mind.

Reluctantly, Faith nodded at Xander's words and made her way upstairs to her bedroom, Xander following closely behind. That night she dreamed of Linda and of things that could have been.

xxxxxx

The next day

xxxxxx

Rupert Giles truly wondered if karma was a bitch, or if rather, he was karma's bitch. Since losing his position as Watcher, things had started to go downhill.

A few weeks ago, a pompous little prick by the name of Wesley Wyndam-Pryce had taken over as the official Watcher for Buffy and Faith, if the latter Slayer could ever be found without Xander. Although, he did laugh a little when the poor fool tried to force Faith to do something.

How she knew what Wesley could do with a goat was beyond him.

If it wasn't the bumbling fool, it was, oddly enough, Buffy herself. Since Xander's rescue of her and leaving the group, Buffy had become more careless in her slaying. Everyone noticed the change, as she kept everyone at arm's length. Then again, having your life saved by the, as she deemed him, 'useless' one of the group didn't do much for your ego.

Before he could muse any more about Buffy, the library doors opened and in walked the last person he thought he would see. Xander Harris…now Xander Sparda.

"Giles," he said, leveling his eyes at him, "we need to talk. Get everyone together during lunch, got it?"

Before Giles could say one word in return, Xander turned and walked out the door, leaving the librarian/ex Watcher standing there. The look in the young man's eyes had him wondering what poor soul had pissed him off this time.

xxxxxx

Lunch Time

xxxxxx

Buffy waited nervously as she and the others waited for Xander to show up.

Surprisingly, Giles had somehow managed to get everyone in the library, even Cordelia. Then again, she was hanging off the arm of the younger Watcher the Council has sent to replace Giles.

Behind Buffy, Angel stood protectively. He was still slightly pissed off that Xander had not only saved her but told the Watchers Council to fuck off.

Across the table, sat Willow and Oz, who were sitting so close to each other they almost looked like they were joined at the hip. Finally, there was Giles, cleaning his glasses for the fifth time.

"God," Cordelia spat out, "where is that dork anyway? I have better things to do then to hang out here." 

"Aww, what's wrong Queen C, got an appointment to get your boobs redone?"

And there stood a smirking Faith with a tense looking Xander behind her, both decked out in their battle gear, ready for war. The gang could see a few weapons but knowing the pair, all were positive there were many more hidden on their bodies.

"Glad you could all make it," Xander said as he looked around the room. Buffy and Angel stiffened as he stared at them a little longer then the others.

Wesley had never gotten a good look at the man who had shoot off his superior's leg until now. His orders were to simply observe and collect any information he could. For all the young Watcher knew, this 'Xander' could be a powerful demon who had turned the other Slayer against her calling. Now was his chance to study the boy. At first glance, he looked like any other normal, American teenage boy. But then there were his eyes.

Xander's eyes were they kind that, right now, could freeze hell a thousand times over.

The kind of eyes that could make a devil cry.

"So, we're all here, what do you want?"

Xander leveled his gaze at Buffy, before addressing everyone else.

"Look, you guys don't like me, and I don't give a shit. Right now there are forces at work that have been manipulating everyone and everything in this town."

He saw that THIS got their attention.

"So, who is it then?" asked Giles as he cleaned his glasses.

"Sorry, G-man," Xander replied, "but that info comes at a price."

"Get on with it already, will you?" shouted an annoyed Angel.

"Chill Dead Boy, you should really switch to decaf."

Angel was about to vamp out and go after him, but a hand on his chest stopped him from doing so. Much to his surprise, it was Buffy holding him back.

"Good doggie," mumbled Faith to herself, although everyone heard what she had said.

Buffy, only narrowed her eyes at the raven-haired Slayer and motioned Xander to continue.

"Now in exchange for this info I would like to ask for your help to take down a Master Vampire by the name of Trick. I'm sure you know who he is?"

At their nod, Xander went on. "Now normally I would take them all out myself, but there are too many unknown factors. His backer can supply him with pretty much anything he wants. Luckily, I have plan."

"Tell me," Wesley started in his 'holier then thou tone, "what this great plan of yours is."

"Well, Wussley," Faith snarled at him, "if you would kindly shut your pie hole, he'll tell you!"

"Now see here! I'm your Watcher and you will treat me with the respect I deserve!"

"Pal," Xander said as he opened his coat to show off his weapons, "you deserve one of two things. Jack and shit…and Jack left town. You can leave if you want, the ones I need are right here."

For a few moments, Wesley did a great impression of a fish out of water with his mouth moving, but no sound came out.

With the annoying British man silent, Xander went into detail on his plan and what each person's part would be.

xxxxxx

Time: Later that night

Place: Warehouse district

xxxxxx

The vampire known as Mr. Trick was having a great night.

He had gotten lucky enough to get some more information on the new hunter in town, as well as the other Vampire Slayer, Faith.

Faith and he went way back, back to when his sire, Kakistos, and he met the Slayer and her Watcher. The first time they had fought, Trick had been surprised at how young the Slayer was. From what he had heard over the years, he expected her to be something like an Amazon. He was very disappointed when he saw her. Yet, there was a fire in her eyes that he could almost get to like.

Almost.

The best part about meeting Faith had been the capture. Sure, Kakistos had ordered her and her Watchers capture, but the thrill of the torture...Even today, he could still hear the screams of the Watcher and the cries of her Slayer.

What he didn't suspect was the Slayer snapping after seeing the Watchers death. Trick hated when he miscalculated things. He and his sire had barely escaped and almost all their forces were destroyed. His sire couldn't just let it go though.

Trick hunted her and tracked her down all the way to the Hellmouth, where the other Slayer was. Again, he was smarter then most and was able to escape. Now though, he had a new backer who, unlike his Sire, embraced the new ways along with the old. The only downside was that this man scared him far more then Kakistos.

After a quick stop at Willy's bar to pick up a fresh pint of human blood, he was on his way to relay the good news to his new boss.

"Well, well, well look what we have here," a voice above him said, catching Trick off guard. He cursed himself for letting his guard down.

As he looked around, his eyes went upward and paled slightly. Above him, on the roof of a small three story building and leaning against a brick chimney was one of the 'mysterious' new hunters he had information on.

It was none other then Xander Harris, although it was Xander Sparda to the rest of the demonic underworld.

"Now isn't this interesting," the brunet said as he hopped down from the roof he was on, "a master vampire like you, all alone with no backup...man, that's just begging to get your ass slain."

Trick started to retreat. Facing off against someone like this kid was like putting your hand into a blast furnace.

He was about to turn and run for it but stopped when he saw the blonde Slayer and her Vampire boyfriend blocking his escape, both armed with swords. Trick turned to his right but it too was blocked, this time by the redheaded witch and her werewolf boyfriend who was wielding a rather mean looking battle-axe. To his left was the Watcher, armed with a crossbow aimed straight at Trick's chest.

He was trapped like a rat on a sinking ship.

The only way left for him to escape was the same way he came in.

Trick weighed his options. He could make a run for it but that would leave him wide open for an attack, especially from the young demon hunter and his two guns.

Just as he was about to make a break for it, the vampire heard the sounds of footsteps coming up behind him. Trick slowly turned around; facing the last person he wanted to see.

Faith, the raven haired Slayer. The same Slayer he had chained and forced to watch as he and his sire tortured her Watcher.

The dark Slayer was dressed in her new traditional combat outfit with her hair tied back in a tight ponytail. Over both shoulders, the handles of her short swords stuck out. Other then that, she appeared to have no other weapons.

"The only way you're getting out of here," she said, "is through me."

Trick swiftly glanced around, not believing what he was hearing. To his disbelief, the dark haired Slayer tossed a sword at his feet. Where she'd pulled it from was a mystery to him. If his heart could still beat, it would be racing as fast as a racehorse's.

He reached down, slowly picking up the sword and trying to calm his nerves. In all honesty, Trick wasn't that old compared to most other vampires but he was smarter than most. Many said he was even smarter then William the Bloody a.k.a. Spike.

"Well, you heard the lady," the young demon hunter above him started, "the only way you're getting out of here alive is through her. And before you ask, it's going to be a fair fight. No ones going to interfere in this fight."

The look Xander gave him was the same one his friends, save for the dark haired slayer, gave him, incredulity.

xxxxxx

"Xander, what the hell is wrong with you? This wasn't part of the plan," Buffy said through clenched teeth. Her eyes were dangerously narrowed as she grabbed him by the shoulder. This was not part of the plan she'd heard.

"Nothing's wrong, Slayer," he replied in a cool tone, "and for your information this _is_ part of the plan. Only it was on a need to know basis and you didn't need to know."

"Damn it, Xander, she can't fight him. Faith isn't strong enough!"

Xander spared her a glance, his eyes cold as ice.

"As I recall, Slayer, you did the same thing when Dead Boy over there went rabid. But unlike you, Faith and I have a plan. Now, shut up and watch."

Buffy was about to explode until she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked at Angel, who wore a grim expression on his face. Reluctantly, she backed down. What Xander said did have a grain of truth to it.

And that made it even harder to swallow.

xxxxxx

Faith shrugged off her jacket and tossed it aside as she edged her twin swords out. She slowly twirled them around, circling the Master Vampire who had taken away the only person she'd ever cared for, other than Xander.

"Looking good, Slayer," he sneered at her, picking up the sword at his feet.

Surprisingly, she said nothing. Her eyes were deadlocked on Trick.

"What's wrong, Slayer? Cat got your tongue? Oh well, I'm sure your screams are going to be a lot sweeter then your Watchers were."

That did it.

With a roar that was suited more for a demon, Faith snapped. She charged straight in, ready to cut him a new one.

xxxxxx

The others could only watch as Faith fought with the Master Vampire.

Every attack she could strike with was blocked by Trick. The clashing of steel against steel echoed throughout the old and empty warehouse. They could see sparks flying as the blades meet each other.

Buffy hated to admit it, but Faith was good.

Really good.

Seeing Faith suddenly turn into Xena, when only a few months back Buffy was top Slayer in her mind wasn't fair. Yet, even then, Faith was a slightly better fighter. The only reason she'd won against Faith, was her experience.

She should have been the one getting the new weapons and moves; with everyone else providing backup support, especially Xander. In her opinion, he was the most useless person she had ever met.

Yet, recent events made it clear that without him, she would have died the first day she arrived.

Buffy looked at Xander, taking her eyes off the fight. His eyes were following Faith as she went toe to toe with this Master Vampire. His hands were wrapped so tightly around the pommel of his sword Buffy could almost hear the grip cracking under the pressure.

She was about to say something to him but the sound of the battle drew her back to the fight.

xxxxxx

Faith tried desperately but couldn't get a clean shot at Trick. So far, it had been nothing but nicks and cuts on both of them. And as such, those very same nicks and cuts were already healing up.

Faith faked a kick to the side of Trick's face only to try to stab him. Just as the blade was about to cleave his face in half, Trick blocked it and twisted the short sword away, punching her away hard.

The blow rocked Faith more then she cared to admit. He was at least as strong as Kakistos and moved a lot faster too. From what little she had read of Master Vampires, another thing she had to thank Linda for, they were one of the few things that could go head to head with a Slayer.

Another thing she would hate to admit was how good Trick was with a sword. So far, he had kept her at bay. Every time she thought she had a good shot at him, Trick would either dodge or block.

This was not going to be as easy as she'd thought.

Faith grunted as Trick rammed his shoulder into her, making her drop one of her short swords. Still she managed to get in a lucky shot with the other. When Trick stepped back, she lashed out and knocked the sword out of his hand. The only problem was that she over swung and Trick was able to knock her remaining sword away.

Faith was unable to block the vicious backhand that sent her flying over a crate and onto her back. She landed with a thud that made everyone there wince in pain, especially Xander.

Buffy was just about to scream at Xander yet again when she noticed his narrowed eyes and clenched jaw. She even saw that his hands flexed on the handle of his sword. It was evident he wanted to retaliate on Faith's behalf. He was also shaking slightly; she could see a tint of red aura surrounding him.

With her being so close to Xander, Buffy felt the power oozing off him. It was like nothing she had ever felt before. It was so powerful, in fact, that it was sending her inner Slayer into a frenzy between killing him and running for dear life.

Buffy turned to see Angel who looked even paler then usual. He was scared….plain and simple.

"Xander, what are you doing?" Buffy said finally getting over her initial shock, "she's getting killed…is this part of your plan?"

"…"

"Damn you, answer me!"

"…Buffy…I want you to take a nice tall glass of shut the fuck up," Xander finally said in a chilling tone that sent shivers up even Angel's spine. "As for my plan…this is it." 

Buffy was about to scream at him again when he started to talk once more.

"See Buffy, Faith wanted to deal with this alone, and deep down she needs to do this in order for her to move on. Unlike you and Dead Boy, she knows that she must work through her problem rather then brood over it or run away from it. Her problem being the death of her Watcher and friend, Linda. Trick was the one that did most of the torturing to her."

Buffy's eyes went wide when she heard this. She had forgotten about that.

"Now it's her chance to move on…and get a little pay back."

Buffy said nothing more as she looked back down, seeing Trick make his way over to the downed Slayer.

Xander only narrowed his eyes more as they started to get a light red tint in them.

xxxxxx

Faith laid there panting as she tired to clear the cobwebs. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears. The sound of the blood pumping and her breathing were the only things she could hear at this moment.

As she opened her eyes, Faith could swear she saw the smiling face of Linda. She was looking at her like she used to when they were sparring, back when Faith barely knew how to throw a punch. Back in the day, when she was training, Linda had always knocked her on her back, thanks to the Watcher's experience or some dirty trick. Linda believed in function over form.

Through it all, there was always something driving Faith to do better, something Linda had said to her over and over again. No matter how many times she wanted to quit, when Faith heard it, she would keep on going.

"Why do we fall, Faith?" she heard Linda's voice ask in her head. "So we can get back up."

xxxxxx

Start Faith's Theme

xxxxxx

Faith whipped the blood from her chin as she got back up. Her eyes locked with the Master Vampire who was mocking her. He was laughing not only at her but also at the memory of the only other person who ever gave a damn about her.

The vampire known as Trick was suddenly flying through the air, bringing an abrupt cut off to his insane laughter. His undead body slammed into the brick wall hard, leaving cracks like a spider web. He shook his head, clearing the fog from his head and looked up with wide eyes.

Standing in front of him was the same Slayer who had been on her knees moments ago. He sensed something different this time. It was almost as if the Slayer had flipped a switch in her mind and was someone else now.

"Round two, asshole," Faith said through gritted teeth.

Faith reached down and grabbed the Master Vampire by the neck. Pulling him to his feet, she slammed him up against the same wall he had crashed into.

For the next few moments, Trick felt the most intense pain he had ever experienced in his undead life. Every punch from the raven-haired Slayer was like a sledgehammer. Each one literally hammered him into the wall.

Actually, it felt like he was about to go through the wall.

She grabbed him again and threw him onto an empty crate, shattering it. Faith then kicked him hard, sending him sliding all the way into another crate.

Faith stalked over to the Master Vampire and grabbed the short swords she had dropped earlier. She saw that Trick had already gotten up, though he looked a little unbalanced, and grabbed his own sword.

Before Trick could blink, Faith was on top of him making a nice "X" shaped slash across his chest. He didn't have time to react to the cut because of the backflip kick to the chin that sent him flat against the wall he had hit several times before.

Faith was on him the moment he hit the wall. A sharp kick to his knee shattered it, hobbling the Master Vampire, just as he blocked one of the swords from taking his head. He wasn't fast enough to parry the other and it took out a nice chunk off his sword arm. Faith was fighting on pure willpower and rage right now.

Every time Faith landed a blow, she remembered a little part of her life with Linda. How she had taken her in. How Linda had shown Faith her destiny and that she wasn't alone. How she had treated her more like a sister rather than a charge.

However, memory was a double-sided blade. For every image she saw of Linda, Faith remembered every scream of her Watcher. How the feisty woman had spit in the eye of the Master Vampire Faith was currently fighting. How she'd laughed at Trick's sire when he wanted her to beg to be killed. And when she did laugh, the Master Vampire killed her as if she was nothing.

But to Faith, Linda wasn't nothing. She was everything.

xxxxxx

Trick was holding his abdomen, trying to keep the blood in his body. Whatever he had said to make the Slayer turn into the Terminator he wanted to take it back, and in a hurry. He would say that she'd gone berserk but that would be a lie. From the look in her eyes, Trick knew that the dark-haired Slayer was in total control.

Trick tried to parry a thrust, forgetting about Faith's other blade until it drove right into his shoulder. Just as he was about to scream in pain, Faith twisted the blade and ripped it out of the Master Vampire's shoulder making the Vampire scream louder.

Trick's scream was short lived though, for Faith slashed at the Vampire's neck, cutting his vocal cords. The cut forced even more of his own blood to be spilled, as he tried to hold onto what was left of his throat.

His eyes were huge as he grabbed his bleeding neck with both hands, the sword having been already dropped. Trick fell down to his knees as he felt his life's blood flowing through his fingers. He blinked a few times, not quite believing what was happening to him and slowly looked up.

Faith stared back at him, eyes half closed, and if you stared hard enough you could see a few unshed tears. The more he struggled to talk, the more blood dripped out.

xxxxxx

Faith looked down at the Master Vampire as he tried in vain to keep his blood inside his body. She could tell every drop of blood lost made him weaker. At this point, she did not feel anything, not anger, hate, or sorrow.

Faith leveled both razor short blades just under Trick's neck like a giant pair of scissors. She could feel the tears running down her cheeks as she thought of this Vampire killing the only other person she'd thought of as family.

"For Linda," she whispered as, with both blades, she sliced the Master Vampire's head off.

As the former Master Vampire turned to ashes, Faith turned around and found herself in a pair of arms that wrapped around her. At first, she stiffened, then she realized it was Xander. For a moment, she thought about making one of her typical wise cracks.

But the hug more than she expected. She dropped the blades, wrapped her arms around him in return, and started to cry.

Really cry.

All the anger and hate Faith had in her was let go at that moment. She buried her face in the crook of Xander's neck as she felt the tears steadily running down her face.

Linda had been avenged

xxxxxx

About an hour or so later, everyone found themselves back at the library. Everybody was sitting at the large table in the middle of the large room, save for Angel who was standing behind Buffy, doing his best to look as brooding as possible.

They were all looking at Faith, who was nursing her neck with an ice pack that Giles had provided. Xander, on the other hand, had disappeared moments before, muttering something about proof.

Buffy, though, wasn't concerned about that at the moment, though she was wondering why the hell she was scared for Xander. What she was really thinking about was Faith. She wondered how the other Slayer had gotten so good in such a short time. Buffy would never admit that Faith was better than she was though, her ego wouldn't allow it.

Just as Buffy was about to demand how Faith gotten so good, Xander walked in carrying a plain brown potato sack with something in it. He tossed it up repeatedly, all the while whistling.

"What's in the bag?" Buffy demanded, rather than ask.

"Oh, this," Xander smiled tossing the bag in the air and letting it drop to the floor, "this is part of the proof I'm showing you guys."

With that simple, yet enigmatic, statement, Xander picked up the sack and tossed it on the table. It bounced a little before settling. With a smile still on his face, Xander grabbed the bag and finally pulled out what was inside.

The severed head of none other then Jack O'Toole.

"Xander," Buffy said, being the first one out of her shock, "what the hell is that?"

"That, Buffy, is a severed head." 

"I know that. What was it doing in that sack?"

"Doing a good impression of a bowling ball," Xander replied with a smile.

"What I think Buffy means, Xander, is why do you have young Mister O'Toole's head in that sack?" Giles interrupted, hoping to ease Buffy's temper.

"Well, it was either this or my old gym duffel, and even I'm not that cruel, G-man."

The group blinked as one and stared at him as if he had grown a second head. Well, everyone that is except Faith who, despite her bruises, let out a slight giggle, something she was doing more and more often.

Before anyone could say more, Xander reached into his coat, drew Ebony from his leg holster, and leveled it between the head's eyes.

"Alright, Jackie boy," Xander started, "tell them what you told me or else."

The head didn't move.

"Aww, what's wrong? Cat got your tongue?"

Again the head didn't move.

By this time, Willow was wondering if her best friend, or in this case estranged best friend, had suffered some sort of mental damage, seeing as how he was threatening a head and all.

Before anyone of them could comment on Xander's strange behavior, Xander let off a shot, barely grazing the head but taking a good size chunk off the table.

"Xander! What the bloody hell is wrong with you?" Giles screamed at the young man, who looked as if he was ignoring the librarian. He was about to repeat his question when the weirdest thing happened.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Harris! You could have killed me!"

For that one brief moment, everything stopped, even the sounds outside the school. As one everyone, save for Faith and Xander, turned and looked at the head of Jack O'Toole. The head looked pretty pissed.

"Hey, just wanted to get your attention," Xander replied with a slight smirk. He lowered the Devil-Arm but didn't put it away. "Now…why don't you tell us all what you told me a few days ago, huh?"

"And why would I do that?"

"I would say out of the goodness of your heart but you seem to be lacking a body…and heart. So, how about this…you tell them and I won't use your head as my bowling ball," Xander replied with a nasty smile. "Then again, my game has been getting better."

The head of Jack glared at Xander's smirking face. If the demon hunter had a dime for every demon, vampire, or zombie that had ever given him that look, he'd be rich.

"Fine," the head said through his teeth, "I'll tell them." With that, everyone got a little closer to the head, though they were still a little freaked out about the talking head.

"My Grandpa brought me back a few weeks ago. Said that I should go and have fun with some old running friends of mine. He told me he was hired by someone to resurrect me. I was supposed to distract the Slayer over here while the boss did what he needed to do."

"So, who's this boss?" Buffy asked, already bored.

"I'm getting to that," Jack all but yelled at the blonde. "The guy who hired my Grandpa has also been behind everything in Sunnydale. It's Mayor Richard Wilkins."

"You're kidding right?" Everyone turned to Angel who pretty much screamed.

"Deadboy, chill will ya, I have more things to show everyone. By the way, Jackie," Xander said leveling Ebony at the head, "Thanks."

"YOU SONOVA.."

Xander squeezed the trigger on the Devil-Arm before Jack O'Toole could finish what he was going to say and blew the severed head away. The powerful gun took almost half of the zombie head away, finally killing him.

With a sigh and a twirl of his gun, he put Ebony away. "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, life's a party and beers a must."

Chuckling at himself, Xander turned around and noticed the looks he was receiving. "What? My zipper open or something?"

"Why the hell did you do that for? We could have used what he knew," screamed the bleach blonde slayer.

"What part of 'I have more things to show everyone' don't you understand? Sit down and SHUT UP," Xander screamed at her, his temper slowly reaching it point. Much to everyone's surprise, Buffy backed off with her eyes wide with a little fear.

Xander reached into his coat, pulled out some photocopies and a CD, and tossed them on the table. "Like I said, I have more to show you. Willow, I'm going to need your laptop."

Willow reluctantly handed over the computer. She still didn't know what to think of this new Xander. The way he was ordering everyone around wasn't normal. Then again, she supposed, nothing was normal anymore.

Xander started up the computer and popped in the CD. As soon as it loaded, he turned the computer around and let everyone see it. There were images of people and things from the late 1800's.

"As you all know, our sunny little slice of hell we know as Sunnydale is built on top of the Hellmouth. When the settlers built the town, some of them knew something was wrong, but their Mayor, the first Wilkins, talked them into staying. They did, and a few years later, his family was mysteriously killed. At the time, no one thought anything about it, other than it being a tragic accident.

"What they didn't know was that it was Wilkins that was the cause of his family's death. He made a deal with some of the local demons for power and immortality. The only thing that they wanted in return was tribute. For the blood of his family, they made him immortal."

Xander grabbed two photos and held them up. One was an old black and white picture while the other was in color. "This one," he said, holding up the black and white one, "is Richard Wilkins the first, the first Mayor of Sunnydale, taken when the town was officially named. Now this was taken last year during the election."

He put both photos on the table in front of the computer. On its screen was yet another picture taken in the same year the black and white one was, only clearer. All three pictures had a red circle around one persons face. It was the same person.

It was Richard Wilkins in each one.

"Bloody hell," Giles mumbled to himself, as he looked at all three pictures.

"Wait, boys and girls," Faith said with a smirk, "there's more."

"She's right…there is more…a LOT more. It seems that the power part of the deal comes up in about a month or so, when the town has its one-hundredth anniversary. At that time he needs to give a huge sacrifice in order to get whatever he wanted," Xander finished. He looked at each one of their faces to gauge their reactions, which ranged from surprise and shock to confusion and anger.

"So, what do you wish from us," asked Wesley who had kept his peace up until now. It was clear that he was both surprised and impressed for some weird reason.

Xander looked over at Faith and nodded. It was her turn now. Though, from the look on her face, she would rather hit her own hand with a hammer then have it be her turn.

"Help," she said simply.

"Oh, and why would the all mighty Xander and Faith need help?" Buffy sarcastically replied.

Xander had had quite enough of the way Buffy was acting. He was about to say something when Faith cut him to the chase.

"Unlike you, Buffy, we know when to ask for help. We don't know what we're up against. It could be anything from Godzilla to Barney. All I know is whatever it is, it's big. So big that most of the demons and vamps have been working for Wilkins. The bad part is they are scared of him. BIG time."

"Can't we just go and slay him?" Willow asked.

"We already thought of that," Xander said, turning the laptop off, "seems that whatever he's planning, part of it is already under way. A few nights ago, the good mayor received a package. Whatever it was, it was guarded like it was the Holy fucking Grail. Since then, the vampires and demons have been working overtime recruiting others. I was able to piece together what I could, but that's it."

A stunned silence fell over the library. This was more then what they had expected.

xxxxxx

They had left about an hour later, everyone going home.

Faith was quiet the entire way back. She sat there, her arms crossed, the entire way home, looking out the window. As soon as they got back, she went to her room and closed the door.

It was half an hour later and Xander had already changed into his sleep clothes. The door to his bedroom opened, revealing Faith in an oversized shirt. Her hair was down and she looked like she had been crying. Xander opened his arms.

That simple gesture was more then enough to have Faith running into bed with him.

He held her that entire night while Faith dreamed dreamed of what might have been.

((A/N: Faith's theme song is "Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence))


	9. Lucky Ones

xxxxxx

Prom.

One word. Four lettes. Simple.

Its also something every teenager fears. More so then anything else in life, and that includes demons.

It was no different for the Slayer. Well…in this case BOTH Slayers.

In Faith's case, it was a little different.

Faith had never been on a date before, usually having guys leer at her rather then asking her out. She also had a image to protect in being the hot bad girl. The fact was, it was all a front, something to protect her from getting hurt in the end.

Now a days though, she had her eye on someone, but had no idea what to do. That someone is Xander.

She was used to being the one chased rather then doing the chasing. If she took Cathy's advise, she could simply hit him over the head with a big rock and drag him off. Though she doubted that there was a rock big enough to knock Xander out. If she took Jack's advice, she would simply ask Xander to the Prom.

In all honesty, she'd rather face a few hundred vampires without her weapons or her gear…and while being naked…

"Hey stud, can I talk to you," asked Faith as she swallowed her nervousness.

It had been a few days since Xander and Faith revealed who the latest big bad was. Days since Buffy and her gang had been shocked into action. Since then, there had been an uneasy alliance between them. Right now, Xander was sitting on the large oak table flipping through one of the many old books in the library when Faith came in.

He could tell that she was a little nervous about something. Scared really.

"Umm, sure," he replied hopping off the table, much to Giles' relief. His books were safe for now.

"What's up," he asked Faith, hopping she would finally calm down some.

"Well, you know prom is in like, a few days, and I was wondering…if you weren't busy…if you aren't busy that is…"

The rest of it was mumbled, but Xander got what she was trying to ask him. To make a long story short, he was slightly shocked. Of all people, he didn't know Faith would ever ask him out, especially to prom of all places. Then he got an evil idea.

"In other words your asking me out…to prom huh?"

"Yeah, stupid huh," replied Faith with a light blush. It was refreshing to see that Faith in the end was just like any other girl.

"So what time?"

"What?"

"I said, what time," Xander smiled at her.

She was shocked. Xander had actually said yes.

"What," he asked with a smirk, "you think I would have said no? your kidding right?"

Faith's shock quickly faded and she smirked back, putting her hands on her hips. "Like you could say no to all of this, stud."

With that she walked away, and Xander noted, with more sway to her hips.

"I'm absolutely crazy about…her," he said to mostly himself.

In all honesty, though, he was going to ask her out himself.

How things turn out.

xxxxxx

Time: later that day after school

Place: Sunnydale Mall

xxxxxx

Faith glaced over the slightly overwhelming selection of dresses on sale. It was a sale on almost everything in the store for proms, from dresses to suits.

She was never too much into the whole dressing up thing. Sure she had the need every female had, to shop and shop some more. Her clothes consisted of jeans, leather pants, shirts that were tight or looked cook, more leather, ect ect.

Part of her wanted to hop back onto her bike, ride over to Jack's, get Kathy and drive back here with her. Demons she could handle, but this was a little different. She was about to give up, when she saw it. The dress that would make a blind man droll.

On a rack to her left, stood a dark red dress that would hug her curves in just the right ways. The neck like was cut just right to show off a good amount of her clevage. It had a open back with criss cross straps on it.

Faith couldn't look away. The dress was perfect for her.

xxxxxx

Later that day, almost night

xxxxxx

Xander fixed his bow-tie as he smiled at his reflection.

He had to admit, he looked good. He had on a classic tux, a white shirt with black dress pants, white dress shirt, and a dress jacket.

"James Bond ain't got nothing on me, yo," he smirked at his reflection.

"Does that make me one of the Bond girls," replied Faith's voice behind him.

Just as he turned around to answer when he saw her in all her glory. She had on a dress he hand never seen her buy before. Then again she never brought a dress, mostly going for jeans. The dress showed off every incredible parts of her body. With her hair down, Faith looked like one of the Greek Goddesses in one of G-man's old books.

"I take it you like?"

Faith didn't get a response, seeing as how Xander's jaw was currently on the ground. She was pretty sure she saw a small trail of droll rolling down the side of his jaw.

Smile, and with a slight saw of her hips, Faith walked over to Xander and traced his jaw line with a sultry smile. "I'll take that as a yes."

xxxxxx

An hour later at the Prom

xxxxxx

Cordelia Chase was not one to be kept waiting. Usually she's the one that's being waited for.

The object of her waiting was none other then her ex-boyfriend, Xander Harris, or Xander Sparda as he was now known as.

She had brought a brand new dress where she was working at just for this night. Tonight was the night that she would made Xander remember why she was the Queen. She was going to do a little sexy dance (unlike Buffy did a while back) that would make him sit up and beg like a dog. After that shw would simply dump him on his ass. Simple really.

Then again she should have remembered that this was Sunnydale…and high school. Things were NEVER simple.

xxxxxx

The Prom was going in full swing now. Everyone looked like they were having fun, even Giles.

Then, as if by magic, some of the crowed slowly turned to the entrance of the Sunnydale High School gym. Making their way in was none other then Xander and Faith looking completely different from what they usually did.

Faith and Xander looked like a movie star couple. They even acted like it too, since they didn't notice or care that people were looking at them. Though there were a few that were right out glaring at them.

Among those glaringwas Buffy and her pet vampire, Angel. They just had a tender moment between them, seeing as how Angel was leacing when the Mayor was taken down. She was sure that Xander had something to do with it.

Next on the list was Cordelia, who's mouth was hanging open for so long it looked like it was dislocated. She knew for a fact that when Xander wanted to, he could clean up nicely, but his date was a totally different story. She never suspected that Faith would look that good in that good of a dress. In all honesty she was expecting something a lot more trashy looking.

Finally, there was Willow. Despite everything that had happened between her and Xander, she still hopped that they might get together. Though seeing as how Oz was next to her tonight she didn't and couldn't do anything. In her own opinion Xander shouldn't even have had any powers, just be in the background. Another part of her was amazed, at her own stupidity.

xxxxxx

Faith, finally noticing the looks she was getting, shifted uncomfortably. She was used to the stares of lust she usually got, but these were different. They were looks of awe and jelousy.

"So you noticed too, huh?"

Faith looked at Xander, who sported his usual 'devil may care' grun.

"Yeah, it's a little weird," she replied, "what should we do?"

Suddenly, Faith felt his hand on her own. She had felt his hands before, but this was different. Despite the fact that he was insanely strong, Faith was surprised at the fact that Xander's touch was gentle. She had seen Xander do things with incredible strength and power, but this was different.

"What should we do? Simple, we let them stare," he finished with a wink.

Faith didn't know why but she blushed under the wink. And she was pretty sure that she saw Xander blush too. It made her feel a little better seeing him blush. Just then, the music died down and another song started.

Xander, still smiling and with a slight blush, lead Faith to the dance floor as the music played.

xxxxxx

_It was a Monday, when my lover told me,  
"Never pay the reaper with love only."  
What could I say to you, except, "I love you."  
And "I'd give my life for yours."  
_xxxxxx

It was a little awkward for Faith seeing as she never did the slow dance thing. Though from the looks of it neither was Xander. 

xxxxxx_  
I know we are _

_We are the lucky ones  
I know we are_

_We are the lucky ones.  
I know we are_

_We are the lucky ones, dear_

_The first time we made love, I...I wasn't sober.  
And you told me you loved me over and over!  
How could i ever love another, when I miss you every day...  
_xxxxxx

For the life of him Xander didn't know why, but he was nervous being around Faith. They have gotten closer since her birthday and even closer since she took Trick out. Seeing her now, under the dim lights, and the song playing, he was reminded just how beautiful she was.

xxxxxx_  
Remember the time we made love in the roses  
And you took my picture in all sorts of poses  
How could I ever get over you, when I'd give my life for yours  
_xxxxxx

At first their slow dance was a little out of synce, but somehow they were slowly getting into the rythem of things. They looked at each other and let out a small laugh at it.

xxxxxx_  
I know we are _

_We are the lucky ones.  
I know we are _

_We are the lucky ones.  
I know we are _

_We are the lucky ones.  
I know we are _

_We are the lucky ones, dear. _

_  
My dear, It's time to say I thank god for you.  
I thank god for you in each and every single way.  
And, I know_

_I know_

I know 

_I know_

xxxxxx

After the laugh died down they were stuck there looking into each others eyes. Something was there, beyond their bravado and quick remarks. Behind the masks they each wore. It was something that connected them.

Their faces slowly started to move to each other. It was as if there was some force gently moving them closer and closer.

_  
_xxxxxx_  
It's time to let you know_

_Time to let you know  
Time to let you know _

_Time to sit here and say  
_xxxxxx

At that moment their lips touched. It was a light kiss that grew more and more with each passing moment.

The kind of kiss you seeing in movies, never believing that it could ever exist.

All around them, though, it was if time stood still.

xxxxxx_  
I know we are_

We are the lucky ones  
I know we are

We are the lucky ones  
I know we are

_We are the lucky ones  
I know we are_

_We are the lucky ones, dear  
We are the lucky ones, dear_

xxxxxx

As the song finished, Xander and Faith's lips slowly parted. He looked down at her and she looked up at him. There was something there in their eyes. Two souls who just found each other. The same yet diffrnet.

"Wow."

No one knew who said it first, but it was a great way to sum it all up.

Xander could still taste Faith on his lips. She tasted like strawbetties and lilies.

Faith was wondering why she thought of cookies when she licked her lips and looked at Xander.

.Neither one of them were used to this new feeling. And whatever this new feeling was, they liked it…a lot.

xxxxxx

A short time later, and many glares from Xander former friends, they both left, feelling the need to get some freash air.

When they got outside Faith took Xander's hand in her own and lead him back to the Mustang. She wanted to go home and he did what she wanted. He didn't know if it was magic or not, but Xander was going to let it happen…for now.

xxxxxx

Cordilea was in shock. Xander didn't even look at her once.

After he and Faith had one ore two quick dances, they had left. From the looks of it, Faith's eyes were glazed over. Cordy knew for a fact that she didn't have a drop to drink.

Ever since they became a team, they were unstoppable. And she hated that.

'God," she growled out through clenched teeth, "I wish someone would just…kick their ass!"

"Wish granted…"

Cordelia quickly turned around to see no one there. All she heard was a voice. Shrugging she went back to doing her impression of Angel…and brood…

xxxxxx

They got back home moments later. As soon as Xander opened the door for her, Faith all but jumped into his arms kissing him deeply.

For a moment Xander was in shock, but it quickly wore off as he returned the kiss. It was almost as if he was addicted to her lips, and from the looks of it so was she. They were slowly going up the stairs, each one stripping off a article of clothing.

When they got to the top, they had very little on. Picking her up Xander carried her off to his bed, without breaking the deep kiss.

"Are you sure," Xander asked breaking the kiss.

"Yeah…I'm sure," she replied without hesitating, "I…I trust you…"

She pulled him back into the kiss again.

Nothing else was said between them.

xxxxxx

At almost the same time

xxxxxx

The portal of red energy opened up above the small alleway as two bodies dropped from it.

The first one, male, got up groaning and soon followed by the second one, a female.

"Oww…well that SUCKED," the man said as he shook his head, shacking the dizziness from his head. It also had the added effect of letting what little dirt he had in his white hair fall.

"You know," the female said as she dusted herself off, "I cant help but think this is somehow your fault."

"My fault," he sceamed at her, "how is this possibly my faul?"

"Details, details…"

Rolling his eyes, the man cracked his neck slightly and looked around the dirty alleway. He gave a quick prayer of thanks that he didn't land a few more feet to his left.

"So where do you think we are," asked the female as she tossed a lock of her pale blond hair over her shoulder.

Shrugging he looked back at her, "No clue, but I know one thing…whoever did this is going to pay."

Without a second thought he spun around and lashed out with a kick to the demon that was TRYING to sneek up on him. Said demon few back, slamming into a dumpster hard.

The last thing the demon saw, was none other then the same white haired man bringing up a pair of guns at him.

xxxxxx

TBC

xxxxxx

A/n: This is the unbetaed version of this story...will post it again when I get it back from my reader lol. oh...looking for a artist to draw a few parts of this story...hit me back will ya? thanks


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